How TBS used AI Dubbing to bring KASSO to a global audience

Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS), one of Japan’s leading media companies, has been producing high-quality television and radio content since 1951. With a growing focus on digital platforms, TBS has been expanding its global reach - bringing original content to audiences worldwide.

One of its standout projects is KASSO, a series that dives into Japan’s skateboarding culture. It features top skateboarders, dynamic street sessions, and competitions while weaving in music, fashion, and art. As skateboarding gained international attention, TBS saw an opportunity to bring KASSO to a wider audience. To prepare for Season 2, they decided to dub Season 1 into English, Spanish, and Portuguese - making the series more accessible while setting the stage for global expansion.

Dubbing at scale with AI

Traditional dubbing is time and labor-intensive, and often loses the original emotion and nuance of the speaker. Finding multilingual voice actors who can match the energy of the original performances is also a challenge.

TBS used our AI Dubbing to solve these challenges. Our technology captures vocal tone, emotion, and natural expression across languages while cutting production time. KASSO stays true to the original in every language, reaching more viewers without the usual hurdles of dubbing.

TBS plans to bring KASSO to more languages, making Japanese skateboarding culture easier to follow worldwide. Expanding its reach means growing the global fan base and building a stronger presence beyond Japan. With natural AI dubbing, viewers can watch KASSO in their own language without losing the energy or style of the original. It’s part of a broader push to make Japanese content more accessible, without the usual barriers of translation.

“We expect ElevenLabs’ AI Dubbing technology to drive the global expansion of KASSO and unlock new possibilities for future TBS content,” says Takumi Watanabe, Manager, New IP Development. “Rapid, high-quality multilingual production will help us engage audiences in new ways and strengthen our position in the global content market.”

With AI-powered localization, TBS is ensuring that KASSO viewers worldwide can experience the energy, emotion, and authenticity of Japan’s skateboarding scene in their own language.