Downtown Plus, a new distribution service led by Hitoshi Matsumoto, has become a hot topic after surpassing 500,000 members. While the service is doing well, why are there so few specific comments on social networking sites? In fact, that is precisely where the innovation that television cannot imitate is hidden. What are the “structural limitations” of terrestrial TV programs bound by viewer ratings and compliance, highlighted by seemingly “TV-like” content that does not rely on huge budgets or extreme vulgarity? (Writer: Tatsunori Tokushige) ● Strengths of “Downtown Plus” that TV can never imitate On November 1, the paid subscription service “Downtown+” (hereinafter referred to as “Downtown Plus”) was finally launched. Before the service was launched, some were concerned about the monthly fee of 1,100 yen (including tax), but according to media reports, the number of members has now exceeded 500,000, and the service seems to be doing well. Looking at the reactions on SNS, there are many abstract impressions of Downtown Plus, such as “interesting,” but not many concrete impressions of the contents are flowing. For this reason, some people who have not yet seen the show say they are not sure whether or not to enter, and some even have the ill-conceived notion that it may be boring. The author has been a subscriber to Downtown Plus since day one, and his first impression was a strange one: “It’s like watching TV. Not only Downtown Plus, but also other global video distribution services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video are increasingly offering original Japanese variety shows. However, most of them are differentiated from terrestrial programs by their lavish sets and extravagant guests that make use of budgets that far exceed those of terrestrial programs, or by their use of undertones and extreme performances that can no longer be broadcast on terrestrial TV, which has become more strictly compliant. On the other hand, Downtown Plus’ studio sets are relatively modest at present, comparable to those of terrestrial TV. The big-budget content is also not yet available for distribution at this time. While there are certainly some undertones, the overall content does not seem to be extreme enough to be broadcast on terrestrial television. It is also reported that staff from Fuji Television Network and Nippon Television Network participated in the production of the program, which may be one of the reasons for the “TV-like” feel of the program. However, Downtown Plus naturally needs to differentiate itself from terrestrial broadcasting for the sake of monetization.
