The groundbreaking new talent competition show SONG vs DANCE which premiered on Friday 28th March 2025, at 11:15pm on TV Asahi’s, Channel 5 has taken Japan by storm, garnering excellent ratings and tremendous social media engagement.
A co-production between TV Asahi and Smart Dog Media, this thrilling one-hour variety show special which pushes the boundaries of entertainment, has captivated audiences nationwide with its action-packed high-energy competition format.
SONG vs DANCE which gained a 3.5% rating and a 15.9% share* achieved remarkable success securing the second most watched program during its time slot amongst the six terrestrial channels in Japan. The show also delivered the highest share among artist performance music shows aired in 2025 underscoring its dominance in the genre. SONG vs DANCE also claimed the No. 1 spot for key demographics including teens, young men and men & women aged 50+ showcasing its broad appeal to multiple age groups.
In addition to these impressive ratings SONG vs DANCE sparked exceptional reactions during its broadcast on social media. Clips from the show went viral on TikTok amassing over 136 million impressions, gaining 10,000+ followers and garnering a massive 7.2+ million views on a single video. The show also ranked 5th in Yahoo’s SNS trends and 3rd in the Android search apps, underscoring its wide-reaching and diverse audience.
With the overwhelming response and exceptional ratings TV Asahi is prepping more exciting episodes to answer the age-old question are you team song or team dance?
TV Asahi: We are delighted to announce a historic milestone in the realm of TV Asahi variety shows. In this unprecedented move we have embarked on a cross-border project that brought together both US and Japanteams to collaboratively create an entirely new and innovative format. This bold initiative has successfully redefined entertainment and we are honored to have achieved this groundbreaking accomplishment.
Bringing together two of the biggest forms of artistic performance – singing and dancing – creating a new benchmark in competition television SONG VS DANCE is executive produced BY Craig Plestis and Clara Plestis of Smart Dog Media, alongside TV Asahi’s Takaaki Kitano. SONG vs DANCE marks TV Asahi’s first co-production with U.S.-based production company, Smart Dog Media.
With its mix of talent, electrifying performances and an innovative competition structure SONG vs DANCE is poised to become the next international variety hit.
The show features outstanding performers competing in thrilling head-to-head battles set in a video game-inspired format and delivers exciting and dynamic performances, all while answering the ultimate question: Which is better, song or dance?
*Data: Tokyo area, Source: Video Research
