R-bies publishes Japan's largest running magazine, Runners, and operates the country's largest online race entry service Runnet with 3.5 million registered users. ASICS plans to take advantage of R-bies existing connections with Japan's running community to strengthen its product development, sales promotion and branding activities.
Translator's note: The official press release on the acquisition states twice that "nothing will change" about the way R-bies operates, but it's hard to see how that could play out for Runners magazine and other aspects of R-bies' business. It's also interesting given ASICS' previous acquisition of the Race Roster international race entry service and Race Roster's efforts to get into the Japanese market, where the inferior Runnet has massive domination.
The press release also says that Yu Kurosaki will take over from founder Jiro Hashimoto as head of R-bies in its new ASICS subsidiary capacity. Hashimoto had previously appointed Kurosaki his successor as editor-in-chief of Runners magazine. NTV is the broadcaster of the Hakone Ekiden, Japan's most-watched TV sports event every year.
translated by Brett Larner
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