The Players’ Tribune & Minute Media Expand Global Athlete Network With Launch In Japan

NEW YORK — March 24, 2021 — The Players’ Tribune, a Minute Media company, announced today that it will be launching in Japan, expanding their reach of athlete storytelling and bringing new voices from Japan into The Players’ Tribune family. Japan has the third biggest sports and advertising sales market globally, putting The Players’ Tribune directly at the nexus of massive trends in sports, media and technology.

 

“Our goal has been the same since our inception – The Players’ Tribune gives athletes the opportunity to share it all, from the momentous, to the heart-breaking, to the celebratory and everything in between,” says Derek Jeter, Co-Founder of The Players’ Tribune, Marlins CEO and Baseball Hall of Famer. “Our primary focus with TPT Japan, of course, will be local. Our mission is to serve as a trusted resource for Japanese athletes to connect with their fans, in any way they want, whether that’s essays, podcasts, videos, or on social media,” says Jeter in his penned piece ‘Dear Japan.’

 

A first-of-its-kind-platform in this market, The Players’ Tribune’s storytelling style offers unique and in-depth stories that allow readers to peer into the hearts and minds of their favorite athletes. The Players’ Tribune has an exciting opportunity to bring athlete’s voices to this invested community and in turn, give Japanese athletes a space to share their unique narratives. The Players’ Tribune has also formed a collaborative alliance with Japanese production company, Miraikanai, who will focus on content and production.

 

“After months of planning and preparation, we believe now is a perfect time for the debut of ThePlayers’ Tribune Japan. With this launch, we want to highlight the importance of supporting the voices and stories of athletes all around the globe, starting with our incredible athlete-base in Japan,” said Minute Media Founder and CEO, Asaf Peled. “Japan has an innovative brand, distribution and collaboration system that The Players’ Tribune and Minute Media are excited to work with.”

 

The Players’ Tribune was added to Minute Media’s sports portfolio in 2019 with the goal of expanding global reach, enhancing infrastructure and improving technologies through Minute Media’s integrated publishing platform and audience-development tools. The expansion into Japan is the next phase of the Minute Media and Players’ Tribune evolution and the two companies are looking forward to continued global growth.

 

“I still vividly remember the excitement I had when I first read The Players’ Tribune,” said Miraikanai’s CEO, Shinichi Tsugawa. “Athletes' efforts, setbacks, anguish, revival, glory...there is a real story told in their own words on this site. We are very honored to be a part of bringing this compelling content to the Japanese people as a collaboration partner of The Players’ Tribune and Minute Media.”

 

Fans can expect stories from some of Japan’s top athletes such as F1-driver Yuki Tsunoda, soccer-star Mana Iwabuchi, NBA player Yuta Watanabe, and more. With this launch, The Players’ Tribune hopes to break barriers and deliver global athlete stories to a fan base that is hungry for a new type of media content.

 

To visit The Players’ Tribune Japan site, click: https://www.theplayerstribune.com/jp.