Nippon TV hires ex-ITV Entertainment exec Nick Ower to spearhead development in LA

Nick Ower (left) and Tom Miyauchi

Japanese media company Nippon TV is growing its Los Angeles presence with the appointment of Nick Ower, the former director of development at ITV Entertainment, as director of unscripted development and sales.

Ower will be charged with growing the reach of Nippon TV’s format catalogue, as well as finding US and international partners for original projects developed via subsidiary Gyokuro Studio.

He will report to Tom Miyauchi, who relocated to California a year ago to launch and head the LA outpost, focused on driving sales of content and IP in the US and Latin America.

During his time at ITV Entertainment, Ower worked on adapting international formats for the US market and developing original content. During an eight-year stint at ITV Entertainment, he contributed to development on projects including Peacock’s Love Island Games and Love Island: Beyond the Villa, as well as Prime Video’s Twin Love and HBO Max’s My Mom, Your Dad.

“Nick will play a key role in strengthening our development pipeline and deepening our partnerships across the region, as we continue to broaden our presence in the global market,” said Miyauchi.

Ower added: “By combining Nippon TV’s distinct creative spirit with a sharp focus on international scalability, I look forward to working with partners across the Americas to create high-impact content designed to resonate with audiences worldwide.”