“Ninja Warrior” advances to the Olympics. Tokyo Broadcasting Television, the producer of the television format Sasuke (which has been adapted around the world, including in the United States in various versions of Ninja Warrior), has signed a deal with the International Pentathlon Federation to incorporate the format into a new discipline of modern pentathlon: Obstacle Course.
The UIPM, the international federation and world governing body for the “Modern Pentathlon-led Multisport World,” has been working with TBS since 2022 to create several test events based on elements of “Sasuke”/”Ninja Warrior” and other obstacle sports. That led to the development of the UIPM obstacle race.
Pentathlon was introduced to the Olympic Games in 1912 and consists of five events: fencing, swimming, equestrian show jumping, running, and shooting. (These days, running and shooting are combined as a “laser run.”)
The International Olympic Committee unanimously voted in 2023 to include the latest modern pentathlon, along with the steeplechase, at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Therefore, after the 2024 Paris Olympics, the UIPM replaced equestrian show jumping with obstacle racing at all levels.
This time, under their agreement, UIPM, which had already hosted the first Obstacle World Championship in Beijing in 2025, licensed the rights to use some intellectual property and program elements of “Sasuke”/”Ninja Warrior” (such as the design of certain obstacles) from TBS for the obstacle race.
“What an incredible honor it is for our federation to work closely with TBS, the broadcaster that brought ‘Ninja Warrior’ to the world,” UIPM President Rob Stull said in a statement. “Thirty years after TBS made steeplechase a television phenomenon with the original SASUKE, our two organizations are a perfect fit in terms of tradition and innovation. Modern pentathlon has had a continuous presence in the Olympic Games since 1912 and has continually evolved over the decades to meet the viewing preferences of sports fans around the world. Ahead of LA28, this agreement represents a wonderful and unique marriage of prime-time entertainment and Olympic sports culture.”
TBS and UIPM also plan to collaborate on the mutual promotion of “Sasuke”/”Ninja Warrior” and modern pentathlon as the Los Angeles Olympics approaches.
TBS aired “SASUKE” in 1997, and the series quickly became a sensation. “Ninja Warriors” is broadcast in more than 160 countries and territories, with local versions in more than 25 countries. American Ninja Warrior, produced by A. Smith & Co. Productions, is currently in its 18th season, premiering June 8 on NBC.
“‘Sasuke’ and ‘Ninja Warrior’ have continued to evolve ever since their inception 30 years ago,” said Katsuaki Setoguchi, executive officer of TBS Holdings. “It is a great honor for our journey to culminate in an Olympic sport, merging in this way with the history of modern pentathlon, which has continued to innovate for over 100 years and is loved around the world. This is truly a ground-breaking milestone. We look forward to working with TBS and UI PM will continue to work more closely with Sasuke, Ninja Warrior, and the new sport to ensure that they can perform successfully on the world’s greatest stage, the Olympic Games.”Modern pentathlon continues to grow as a sport and entertainment that is loved by people all over the world. ”
