Ninja Warrior originator TBS plans US push with hire of formats veteran Elwin De Groot

Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS), the Japanese network behind global format success Ninja Warrior, has hired unscripted television veteran Elwin de Groot to lead a push into the US market.

Elwin de Groot

De Groot has held an advisor role with TBS for the past 18 months, helping to launch the company’s LA office. He now moves into a more formalised senior unscripted development executive role at the Japanese broadcaster.

The appointment advances TBS’s strategy to develop original IP and adapt existing formats for US audiences, following the recent relocation of sales and development executive Shuji Maeda to LA from the broadcaster’s Tokyo headquarters.

TBS is currently pitching skateboarding format Kasso internationally after three seasons in Japan, and held an inaugural Kasso Fest live event in Long Beach in March this year.

De Groot previously served as head of development at Youngest Media Group, orchestrating deals with LeBron James’s SpringHill Company and Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine, among others.

Prior to that, he was senior development producer at MTV Entertainment Studios, where he co-developed Paramount+ reality show All Star Shore, and worked as senior alternative development producer at Sony Pictures Television.

He also previously opened and ran the LA office for All3Media’s Optomen Productions, following a six-year run as senior creative director at Armoza Formats, where he co-created formats such as Fox’s The Four, NBC’s I Can Do That and ITV’s Rose d’Or-nominated gameshow Babushka.

Prior to that, he was part of Talpa Media’s creative team, where he developed Net5 fashion format Beat the Top Designer. He began his television career at Endemol Shine, working for five years in both the development (with Deal or No Deal creator Dick de Rijk) and marketing departments.

“TBS’s success is built on relationships and instincts, and Elwin has spent decades proving he has both,” said Goshu Segawa, chief product officer at TBS International. “He has a keen eye for what works across many markets and cultures, and a proven track record of taking formats from concept to international hit.”