“American Ninja Warrior” (ANW), the US spin-off of the TBS sports entertainment program “SASUKE,” is about to bring viewers another thrilling international competition! This time, Europe will join the US and Japan in a fierce battle between elite five-man teams. Titled “American Ninja Warrior: USA vs. The World,” the three-hour special will air on the NBC terrestrial network at 8:00 p.m. on Monday, September 15.

Team USA will be composed of five finalists from the latest season of ANW, while Team Japan will feature five top class competitors from the original “SASUKE.” The new Team Europe will field five world-class athletes with a variety of backgrounds. The teams will compete for points in each stage, and the team that has earned the highest point total at the end of the competition will be declared the winner.

On the roster of Team USA are Paul Kasemir and Travis Rosen, who both previously competed in “SASUKE” in Japan; Brian Arnold, who achieved the best result in ANW Season 5; and Elet Hall and Joe Moravsky. On the roster of Team Japan are Shingo Yamamoto, Ryo Matachi, Kazuma Asa, Hitoshi Kanno and Yusuke Morimoto, the “SASUKE Kid”, all well to “SASUKE” fans.

On Team Europe are world-class rock climber Stefano Ghisolfi (Italy), 2012 IFSC Climbing World Championships overall winner Sean McColl (Canada, resides in France), former Olympic gymnast and current Cirque du Soleil cast member Vadym Kuvakin (Ukraine), world champion free runner and ANW veteran Tim Sheiff (UK), and the ultra-talented Miska Sutela (Finland).

Each of these formidable teams will be aiming to conquer the world’s most difficult obstacle course: the four stages of “SASUKE”, recreated in full scale in Las Vegas. The winning team will win a trophy and the prestigious title of world champion.

Three regular ANW personalities will present “American Ninja Warrior: USA vs. the World.” Matt Iseman and sportscaster and former NFL pro Akbar Gbaja-Biamila will host, while model and two-time Emmy winner Jenn Brown will report from the sidelines.

On Wednesday, January 15, NBC broadcast “American Ninja Warrior: USA vs. Japan” as a two-hour special in prime time. The first-ever international competition in the “SASUKE” format, this program logged exceptional ratings and was a big hit with viewers. The upcoming “American Ninja Warrior: USA vs. the World” is a further evolution of this international theme. Moreover, since its first regular broadcast in May, the sixth season of “American Ninja Warrior” has bested such popular programs as “24: Live Another Day” to earn the highest ratings in its Monday night prime time slot 12 times. This season has also seen the first competitor over 50 to complete a qualifying course and proceed to the finals, as well as the first woman to achieve this feat. Thanks to the resulting buzz and the overall excitement and entertainment value of the program, ANW has been a tremendous summer hit.

“SASUKE” content (including the US version, American Ninja Warrior) has been aired in 157 countries and territories. Sales extend through Asia, Europe, and North America, as well as the Middle East and Latin America. Local versions of the program have been produced in the US, Malaysia, and Singapore, and a local Vietnamese version is currently in the works. On Facebook, the American Ninja Warrior page currently has over 1 million “Likes.” Gaining new fans and expanding its global presence by the day, the “SASUKE” family of programs has yet to reach its peak of popularity!