NHK News Watch 9 Leads Ratings at 10.4% After 2026 Kumamoto Earthquake, Ties with TBS’s VIVANT Sequel

On the evening of July 28, an earthquake of maximum intensity 7 struck Kumamoto Prefecture. That day, NHK General TV’s News Watch 9 and other news programs providing detailed coverage of the disaster led the ratings.

A week after the earthquake, related news programs continued to attract attention. NHK’s News Watch 9, aired on July 28, recorded a rating of 10.4% (17.5% market share), tying for first place with TBS Television’s Sunday Theater VIVANT sequel, which aired on August 2. NHK’s News 7 aired three slots on July 28, at 19:00, 20:00, and 19:30, achieving ratings of 9.6%, 8.8%, and 8.7%, respectively, all within the top ten.

In sports, TBS’s broadcast of the men’s volleyball Nations League semi-final between Japan and the United States on August 1 posted a rating of 9.3% (14.3% market share), ranking fourth. The quarter-final between Japan and China, aired on July 29, recorded a rating of 7.7% (12.4% market share), ranking ninth. Additionally, NHK General TV’s Capital Region News 845 on July 28 achieved a 9.0% rating, the morning drama Wind, Fragrant on July 29 scored 8.0%, and TV Asahi’s News Station on July 28 received a 7.1% rating, ranking fifth, eighth, and tenth, respectively.