MBS anime distribution and licensing strategy: HIDIVE exclusives outside Asia
MBS, a co-producer on hits from Attack on Titan to Jujutsu Kaisen, has made HIDIVE the exclusive international home for a multi-year slate of its anime.
Published: 2026-08-19. Updated: 2026-08-19.
Short answer: Mainichi Broadcasting System licenses part of its anime slate exclusively to AMC Global Media's HIDIVE streaming service for markets outside Asia. A 2023 output deal gave HIDIVE exclusive worldwide rights outside Asia to a portion of MBS's future programming, which was expanded in August 2026 into a new multi-year exclusive output agreement described by AMC Global Media as HIDIVE's largest content programming deal to date. The arrangement covers simulcast titles in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand.
How MBS distributes anime internationally
Mainichi Broadcasting System is a Tokyo and Osaka-based broadcaster that has co-produced and aired anime for more than 50 years. Its credits include globally recognized series such as Attack on Titan, Fullmetal Alchemist, Jujutsu Kaisen, and Dan Da Dan.
Rather than operate its own global streaming service, MBS has chosen an exclusive output partnership with HIDIVE, the anime-focused streamer owned by AMC Global Media. The deal means HIDIVE becomes the international distributor for select MBS anime, while MBS retains its domestic broadcast and production-committee role in Japan.
The 2023 deal and its 2026 expansion
In March 2023, AMC Networks announced that its subsidiary Sentai Filmworks had signed a distribution agreement with MBS granting HIDIVE exclusive rights to stream part of MBS's future programming lineup in all global markets outside Asia. The shows were to be simulcast exclusively on HIDIVE.
In August 2026, HIDIVE and MBS expanded that partnership into a new multi-year exclusive output deal. Under the expanded agreement, HIDIVE will simulcast MBS's upcoming multi-year slate exclusively as titles roll out, with availability in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and Ireland.
The inaugural title under the expanded deal is Nia Liston: The Merciless Maiden, which was set to premiere stateside at Anime NYC 2026 before joining HIDIVE's Fall 2026 simulcast season.
MBS international anime licensing through HIDIVE.| Deal | Announced | Territories | Structure |
|---|
| MBS-HIDIVE output deal | March 2023 | All global markets outside Asia | Exclusive simulcast of select MBS titles |
| Expanded multi-year output deal | August 2026 | US, Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand | HIDIVE's largest content programming deal |
Catalog versus exclusive distinction
MBS's HIDIVE arrangement is an exclusive output deal, not a broad catalog license. It covers future select titles from MBS's slate rather than the broadcaster's entire back catalog. Existing MBS-associated hits such as Attack on Titan and Jujutsu Kaisen are not automatically included, because their international rights were licensed through separate deals made by their respective production committees.
This distinction matters for viewers: HIDIVE gets first-run simulcast exclusivity on covered new series, but MBS's historic library remains tied to earlier agreements.
Why MBS uses an output partnership
An output deal lets MBS monetize international rights without building a direct-to-consumer platform outside Japan. HIDIVE handles localization, streaming delivery, subscriber billing, and marketing in covered territories.
For HIDIVE, the deal secures a pipeline of new anime from a major Japanese broadcaster. For MBS, it turns international rights into recurring licensing revenue while keeping the focus on domestic broadcasting and production-committee investment.
What public evidence does not show: MBS does not disclose per-title licensing fees, revenue splits, or the exact number of episodes covered by the HIDIVE output deal. The agreement is described as covering a multi-year slate, but specific volume is not published.
How MBS fits in the anime value chain
MBS is both a broadcaster and a production-committee participant. In Japan, it airs anime in its programming blocks and invests in production. Internationally, it licenses select rights to HIDIVE rather than distributing directly.
This model is common among Japanese broadcasters: produce or co-produce at home, then license overseas rights to specialists such as Crunchyroll, Netflix, or HIDIVE. MBS's HIDIVE exclusivity makes it one of the clearer examples of a broadcaster betting on a single international partner for a multi-year slate.
Frequently asked questions
Which streaming service has exclusive rights to MBS anime outside Asia?
HIDIVE holds exclusive worldwide rights outside Asia to a portion of MBS's future anime programming, under an output deal first announced in 2023 and expanded in August 2026.
What territories are covered by the MBS-HIDIVE deal?
The expanded 2026 deal covers the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand. The original 2023 deal covered all global markets outside Asia.
Does the MBS-HIDIVE deal include classic MBS anime?
No. The arrangement is an output deal for select future titles, not a back-catalog license. Earlier series such as Attack on Titan and Jujutsu Kaisen are tied to separate licensing agreements.
What is the first title under the expanded MBS-HIDIVE deal?
Nia Liston: The Merciless Maiden is the inaugural title under the expanded multi-year deal, scheduled for a Fall 2026 simulcast on HIDIVE.