BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news
Cycling channel Global Cycling Network (GCN) has announced its first dedicated channel in Asia with the creation of GCN Japan.
Launched in June 2019, GCN Japan is the first new channel to be established since the Discovery investment in the parent company Play Sports Group (PSG) earlier this year. This new Japanese language edition will further extend the current stable, which includes GCN, GCN Tech, GCN en Español and GCN Italia, to deliver original cycling content to Japan.
Play Sports Group has introduced former professional cyclist and Japanese National Road Racing Champion Yukihiro Doi as lead presenter. Doi, a veteran pro cyclist who spent more than eight years at the Skil-Shimano/Argos-Shimano team in Europe, will be joined by pro mechanic and former lecturer at the Tokyo College of Cycle Design, Kunihiro Suzuki, to complete the initial presenter lineup.
Doi said: “I am really excited to be part of GCN Japan, the first ever creator of cycling related video content tailored specifically for the Japanese audience. Kunihiro Suzuki and I are looking forward to engaging with extremely passionate fans and those new to cycling while exploring more of our great country on two wheels. We will showcase the very latest products and tech, have exclusive insights into the pro teams and races, and bring news from around the world to our audience, multiple times a week.”
As the country’s cycling culture continues to develop, particularly in the build-up to the 2020 summer Olympic Games which will be held in Tokyo, GCN Japan is aiming to bring a host of new and original content to a wide audience of cycling fans in the region. Covering everything from bike maintenance advice and tutorials to a weekly roundup of road bike racing action, product and tech news from Japan and across the world, the channel will deliver all the latest cycling news and views in a way ‘not seen before’ in the country.
Simon Wear, founder and CEO of Play Sports Group, said: “With our global audience of over 3.6 million subscribers, predominantly in English and Spanish speaking regions, we feel it is a natural extension for GCN to enter the Japanese market. The cycling market in Japan is one that continues to demonstrate significant growth year on year and we’ve already found there is a real demand for new and engaging product tech, race news and general cycling insight across the country. Following the success of our existing GCN channels, including GCN en Español and more recently, GCN Italia, we’re looking forward to creating exciting new videos that are dedicated to the millions of Japanese-speaking cycling fans.
“Thanks to Yukihiro Doi, Kunihiro Suzuki and the production team in Japan, we believe that we’re in the very best position to create the informative, enlightening and engaging video content that GCN has become known for around the globe. We are very much looking forward to building lasting relationships with those from across the cycling scene in Japan and the Asian continent over the coming years.”
The company is currently looking for a number of Japanese-speaking professionals to support the channel’s growth in the region.
