TBS and UIPM to collaborate on SASUKE/Ninja Warrior and new discipline of Obstacle racing for Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games

• Agreement includes licensing of certain TBS-designed obstacles for UIPM Sports
• It provides a framework for cross-promotion of SASUKE/Ninja Warrior and Pentathlon  ahead of LA28
• President Stull celebrates ‘unique coming together of primetime entertainment and Olympic sports culture’

TOKYO, JAPAN; MONACO: May 26, 2026 – The company that created Ninja Warrior, Tokyo Broadcasting System Television, Inc. (TBS), and the Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM) are pleased to announce that they have reached an agreement to collaborate on SASUKE/Ninja Warrior and the new Modern Pentathlon discipline of Obstacle Racing.

TBS is the producer of the megahit television format SASUKE, which is internationally known as Ninja Warrior. Since its first broadcast on TBS in 1997, SASUKE/Ninja Warrior has become a global phenomenon. The program has aired in more than 160 countries and regions, with local versions produced in over 25 countries. The US version will premiere its 18th season on June 8, 2026.

UIPM is the international federation and the world governing body for a multisport universe spearheaded by Modern Pentathlon. For more than a century after its introduction in 1912, the five Pentathlon disciplines were fencing, swimming, equestrian show jumping, running and shooting (the last two were combined in 2010 to create Laser Run, which debuted in the 1st Youth Olympic Games).

Starting in 2022, TBS worked with UIPM in connection with several test events based on SASUKE and other Obstacle Sports elements that ultimately led to the development of UIPM’s Obstacle racing discipline. Following the Paris 2024 Olympics, UIPM replaced equestrian with Obstacle racing at all levels, after the International Olympic Committee voted unanimously in 2023 to include the updated Modern Pentathlon — featuring Obstacle racing — at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

UIPM, which held its first Obstacle World Championships in Beijing in 2025, has licensed the right to use certain SASUKE/Ninja Warrior intellectual property and program elements, such as the design of certain obstacles, from TBS for Obstacle racing. TBS and UIPM’s agreement also establishes a framework for both parties to proactively collaborate on and globally cross-promote SASUKE/Ninja Warrior and Modern Pentathlon in the lead-up to the Olympics.

COMMENTS FROM PARTNERS

UIPM President Rob Stull said: “What an incredible honor it is for our Federation to be working closely with TBS, the broadcaster that gave Ninja Warrior to the world. It is 30 years since TBS turned obstacle racing into a television phenomenon with the original SASUKE, so our two organizations are a great fit in terms of heritage and innovation. 

“Modern Pentathlon has held a continuous place in the Olympic Games for over a century, constantly evolving over the decades to satisfy the viewing preferences of sports fans around the world. Ahead of LA28, this agreement represents a wonderful and unique coming together of primetime entertainment and Olympic sports culture.”

Katsuaki Setoguchi, Executive Officer, TBS Holdings, said: “Since its launch 30 years ago, SASUKE/Ninja Warrior has continued to evolve constantly. It is a tremendous honor that our journey has converged in this way with the history of the Modern Pentathlon — a sport beloved around the world which has continued to innovate for more than 100 years — culminating in its establishment as an Olympic sport. 

“This is truly a groundbreaking milestone. Going forward, TBS and UIPM will work even more closely together to ensure that, on the world’s greatest stage — the Olympic Games — both SASUKE/Ninja Warrior and the new Modern Pentathlon continue to grow as sports and entertainment beloved by people all around the world.”