Nippon Television Network Corporation (Nippon TV) and Bascule, Inc. (Bascule) announce their agreement to establish HAROiD, Inc., a joint venture that will become a key player in the smart TV and smart device landscape.

Bascule, led by President and CEO Masayoshi Boku, is highly recognized for its creative talents in producing interactive content, as well as for its ingenuity in developing M.I.E.S., an entertainment platform that has produced many viewer-interactive programs. Through its social TV platforms such as JoinTV, Nippon TV has proven its expertise in producing programs that enable viewers to participate and advertisers to engage the audience. Recognizing that television is as much a device as it is a culture and a platform, Bascule and Nippon TV will combine their strengths and aim to maximize the power of television. Their goal is to redefine what television means for consumers, producers, advertisers, and everybody else involved by creating new possibilities for producing content and communicating.

HAROiD, Inc. is scheduled to begin operations in mid-August. Please check the following website for updated information.
HAROiD, Inc. website: http://www.haroid.com/

About Bascule, Inc.
Bascule, headquartered in Tokyo's Minato-ku district and led by President and CEO Masayoshi Boku, is Japan's preeminent interactive creative company that was established in 2000. Among its numerous corporate and brand digital promotions are TOYOTOWN for Toyota Motor Corporation and AXE for Unilever. Bascule's production scope is vast and encompasses all media devices, including television, the web, applications, and digital signage. Recognized for its highly entertaining creations, Bascule has won over 350 awards from all over the world, including from Cannes and the Japan Media Arts Festival. The company has recently been focusing its efforts in the field of interactive television and developed a proprietary entertainment platform named M.I.E.S. (Massive Interactive Entertainment System), which has been used to produce multiple viewer-interactive programs for the major broadcasters in Japan.