Fuji Television Network Inc. said Wednesday its group net profit for the six months to Sept. 30 rose 37.4 percent from a year earlier to 14.07 billion yen, buoyed by the popularity of its smash-hit sequel to a police drama film.
In its consolidated earnings report, the leading broadcaster said it posted a pretax profit of 25.64 billion yen in the first half, up 21.1 percent, with revenues rising 5 percent to 225.88 billion yen.
Contributing greatly to the favorable earnings results was the popular film "Odoru Daisosasen The Movie 2" ("Bayside Shakedown 2"), which set a box-office record among Japanese live-action films, the company said.
Fuji Television said revenues in its mainstay segment, which includes television broadcasting, movies and events, increased 7.1 percent to 179.94 billion yen, with those from nonbroadcasting businesses soaring 101.1 percent. Broadcasting revenues fell 2.1 percent amid the still sluggish advertising market.