The TBS sports entertainment program SASUKE continues to expand in popularity around the world, and now the buzz surrounding the program has reached new heights! Buzz that takes the form of beautiful music-for two up-and-coming Hollywood composers have written an all-new and -original score for SASUKE !

The composers are Deddy Tzur and Ariel Blumenthal of "Creative Music Assets" (CMA), who have earned many credits in movies and TV shows for their music. In addition to writing and producing music for Fox International Channels and the National Geographic Channel, Tzur has composed for motion pictures and video games. Blumenthal has composed for television and written original concert pieces for performance by orchestras. Music that have brought the pair to prominence appeared in the movies "Addams Family Reunion" (starring Daryl Hannah), "Pretty Persuasion" (starring James Woods), the upcoming movie "The Heat" (starring Sandra Bullock), and the hit American TV programs "American Idol" and "The Bachelor.

Tzur and Blumenthal are the first Hollywood composers in history to write music for a Japanese television program. Thanks to the enormous popularity and name recognition of the American version of SASUKE, "Ninja Warrior," and the spinoff "American Ninja Warrior," the two composers were delighted to take on the project.

For SASUKE, the two maestros have composed a total of 12 pieces, including the opening theme, the ending theme, and themes for each of the four stages of the competition. As in a Hollywood soundtrack, the music features grand and exciting orchestration topped off with a choir-all to convey the extreme tension and excitement of SASUKE! The work of Tzur and Blumenthal can be appreciated in its full glory on June 27, 19:00, when TBS broadcasts the three-hour special SASUKE RISING 2013. Until then, viewers can enjoy snippets of the tunes in commercials for the show. Viewers are encouraged to tune in and thrill to world-class athletes backed by world-class music!

SASUKE is currently broadcast in 157 countries and territories in localized versions. Moreover, in the US and an increasing number of Asian countries, spinoffs of the program are produced with local production teams and athletes. By commissioning original compositions, TBS ensures it has the rights to the music in all regions around the world. In the past, gaining the rights for use in each country was a challenging task and a bottleneck in the way of international expansion. Going forward, TBS plans to leverage all media, including online media, to bring the adventure of SASUKE to as many people as possible worldwide. TBS plans to bring original music to these local shows as well, adding soundtrack composition to its international expansion palette of program sales and joint production.

Since it was first broadcast in 1997 as a special episode in the "Muscle Ranking" series, SASUKE has been one of TBS's leading shows. Often broadcast as a special during the New Years holiday or at the beginning or ending of a broadcast season, SASUKE maintains its exceptional level of popularity after 17 years on the air. In summer 2011, the third series of "American Ninja Warrior" became the first live action show originating in Japan to be broadcast in prime time in the US, airing simultaneously on the giant NBC terrestrial broadcast network and the G4 cable network. Broadcast in summer 2012, season four of "American Ninja Warrior" was one of NBC's most successful programs of the year. Starting July 1, 2013, NBC and G4 will broadcast season five across the US, once again in prime time.

Locally produced SASUKE spinoffs were launched in Malaysia in 2011 and Singapore in 2012, and both programs have earned excellent ratings. In addition, a large-scale international SASUKE event tentatively named the SASUKE ASEAN OPEN CUP 2013 will be held in November 2013 in Malaysia. The event is endorsed by the ASEAN Secretariat and Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan as part of the celebration of the 40th year of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation. With the proactive support of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of both Japan and Malaysia, the event is expected to draw participation from athletes hailing from the 10 ASEAN countries (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam) and from around the world.

TBS established a public YouTube channel for SASUKE in April 2013 and collaborated on the launch of a "Ninja Warrior" smartphone app for the US market in May 2013. Through social media, games, applications, and now original music, TBS is leveraging the power of all forms of media to increase program sales, initiate new joint and local overseas productions of TBS formats, and accelerate its global expansion as a whole.