TNL Mediagene (Nasdaq: TNMG) Signs Licensing Agreement with Mexico-Based Media Company Capital Digital― "PICTOLINE JAPAN" Launch Planned for Early 2026

Rhea-AI Summary

TNL Mediagene (Nasdaq: TNMG) said its Japanese subsidiary Mediagene signed a licensing agreement with Mexico City-based Capital Digital to launch PICTOLINE JAPAN in early 2026.

PICTOLINE is a visual storytelling brand reporting 132 million monthly content views and 9.5 million followers. Mediagene will localize PICTOLINE for younger Japanese audiences; co-founder Eduardo Salles has relocated to Japan for one year to lead the project. The company targets visual-first platforms (Instagram, YouTube, TikTok) and plans a rollout in the first half of 2026.

Positive

• PICTOLINE reports 132M monthly content views
• PICTOLINE has 9.5M followers
• PICTOLINE JAPAN launch planned in first half of 2026
• Co-founder Eduardo Salles relocated to Japan for 1 year to lead launch

Negative

• None.

Insights

Digital Media Strategic Analyst

Licensing deal expands Japanese content slate but lacks financial detail; watch execution and audience traction after the early 2026 launch.

TNL Mediagene will localize the Mexican brand PICTOLINE via a licensing agreement to launch PICTOLINE JAPAN in the first half of 2026. The arrangement leverages Mediagene's localization experience and PICTOLINE's visual-first format and audience metrics—reported as 132 million monthly content views and 9.5 million followers/subscribers—while PICTOLINE's co-founder Eduardo Salles will relocate to Japan to lead the project.

The business case rests on converting existing format appeal into Japanese platforms and monetization; no revenue, cost, royalty terms, or KPIs were disclosed, which limits immediate valuation of the announcement. Key execution risks include cultural adaptation, platform distribution choices, and measurable audience engagement in Japan versus Latin America.

Watch for concrete traction signals after launch: localized follower growth and monthly views versus the disclosed benchmarks, any announced commercial partnerships or ad/monetization terms, and timeline adherence around the specified first half of 2026. Near-term horizon: 3–12 months post-launch for initial audience metrics and commercial tests, then 12–24 months for scalable monetization evidence.

- The Company's Japanese media subsidiary Mediagene Inc. has signed a licensing agreement with Mexico City's Capital Digital media group to launch PICTOLINE JAPAN in early 2026

- PICTOLINE is an acclaimed Mexican media brand that produces unique and engaging visual content, including illustrations, infographics, animated graphics, comics and games to explain news, data, and information in a concise, entertaining and shareable format for social media and other digital platforms

- PICTOLINE boasts 132 million monthly content views and 9.5 million followers and subscribers, putting its engagement among the highest levels in Latin America

- PICTOLINE will reach younger Japanese audiences with proven and unique visual storytelling, guided by the Company's expertise in Japanese cultural trends audiences

- PICTOLINE's co-founder Eduardo Salles has relocated to Japan for one year to facilitate the PICTOLINE JAPAN launch as project lead

TOKYO, Oct. 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- TNL Mediagene (Nasdaq: TNMG) (the "Company"), a Tokyo-based next-generation digital media and data group in Asia, today announced that its leading Japanese Media subsidiary Mediagene Inc. has signed a licensing agreement with the innovative Mexico-based media brand PICTOLINE ("PICTOLINE") to launch of PICTOLINE JAPAN in early 2026.

PICTOLINE is a Mexican media brand owned by Capital Digital, Mexico's most innovative digital media group. It produces distinctive, engaging visual content, including illustrations, infographics, animated graphics, comics and games to explain news, data, and information in a concise, entertaining, and shareable format for social media and other digital platforms. PICTOLINE uses visual design as the primary means of communication, aiming to make complex information more accessible and connect with a wide audience. It is highly acclaimed for "revolutionizing information design" by pioneering unique visual storytelling and transforming complex information into clear, compelling content. The brand's commitment to innovation has led to significant achievements, including the creation of the first Mexican animated series developed with HBO Max to receive an Emmy Award. Its greatest strength lies in its ability to create content that instantly evokes empathy and emotion. This power has enabled it to grow into a major player with enormous influence in Latin America.

PICTOLINE boasts market-leading engagement metrics, including 132 million monthly content views and 9.5 million followers and subscribers putting it among the most engaging content in Latin America, according to PICTOLINE's internal data and estimates. PICTOLINE is part of Capital Digital, a media holding company headquartered in Mexico.

Mediagene is a subsidiary of the Company and a Japanese enterprise with a proven track record in localizing media, with popular examples including Gizmodo Japan and Business Insider Japan, two well-known licensed brands that Mediagene has built into leading media properties in Japan. Since its founding in 1998, Mediagene has leveraged its expertise localizing popular IPs in Japanese market into additional language markets. Most recently, it launched Roomie International and Business Insider Taiwan into the global Mandarin language market, a market of over 1 billion readers globally.

The arrival of PICTOLINE JAPAN coincides with the rising popularity of platforms such as Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok, which have significantly shifted user behavior, particularly among younger demographics, from text-centric to visual-centric communication. Furthermore, search behavior for problem solving is increasingly being replaced by interactions with AI. Mediagene believes highly engaging visual content like PICTOLINE will become a mainstream media format going forward. Against this backdrop, Mediagene has positioned PICTOLINE as a media brand with expansion potential in Japan and the Asian market—where Generation Z is projected to account for a quarter of the population by 2025—and entered into a licensing agreement with PICTOLINE.

PICTOLINE co-founder Eduardo Salles has served as Creative Director for brands like Nike and Google, winning numerous awards including Mexico's first Cannes Lions Titanium & Integrated Award. Forbes named him one of the 30 most creative Mexicans working internationally. Eduardo plans to actively participate in the launch and operation of PICTOLINE JAPAN, and has currently relocated to Japan to facilitate the launch.

"We have long understood the incredible power of storytelling and the empathy it can foster with our audiences throughout our diverse and engaging media properties at Mediagene. With PICTOLINE JAPAN, we are taking our capabilities even further by bringing PICTOLINE's proven and unique visual storytelling format that has resonated so strongly with Latin American audiences and adding our expertise in Japan's cultural trends to bring it to Japanese audiences. We are excited to be working with PICTOLINE's founder Eduardo Salles locally in Japan to see that the launch is given the special touch it deserves. Moving forward, with the strong support of Eduardo, Mediagene will fuse PICTOLINE's unique expertise with Japan's cultural trends. As PICTOLINE JAPAN, we will provide users with unprecedented new visual media experiences and we are confident it will evolve into a compelling and engaging new borderless media platform. Please look forward to it," Co-Founder & President Motoko Imada commented.

For Gustavo Guzman, Managing Partner of Capital Digital and also co-founder of PICTOLINE, "Japan is a unique opportunity for the Mexican brand: "The country is accustomed to visual communication. Illustration is used to explain everything, from public transportation to physics manuals. However, there's nothing like PICTOLINE This gap revealed to us the opportunity to bring the brand there."

The Company currently plans to launch PICTOLINE JAPAN in the first half of 2026.

About TNL Mediagene

Headquartered in Tokyo, TNL Mediagene was formed in May 2023 through the merger of Taiwan's The News Lens Co., Ltd. and Japan's Mediagene Inc., two of the region's leading independent digital media groups. The company's operations span original and licensed media brands in Japanese, Chinese, and English, covering topics such as news, business, technology, science, food, sports, and lifestyle. It also offers AI-driven advertising services, marketing technology platforms, e-commerce, and innovative solutions tailored to the needs of advertising agencies. Known for its political neutrality, appeal to younger audiences, and high-quality content, TNL Mediagene has approximately 500 employees across Asia, with offices in Japan, Taiwan, and Hong Kong.

https://www.tnlmediagene.com/ 

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, that are based on beliefs and assumptions and on information currently available to TNL Mediagene. Forward-looking statements generally relate to future events or TNL Mediagene's future financial or operating performance. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by the following words: "may," "will," "could," "would," "should," "expect," "intend," "plan," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "predict," "project," "potential," "continue," "ongoing," "target," "seek" or the negative or plural of these words, or other similar expressions that are predictions or indicate future events or prospects, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words. Forward-looking statements in this communication include, but are not limited to, statements about TNL Mediagene's future business plan and growth strategies and statements by TNL Mediagene's management. Any statements that refer to expectations, projections or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, including strategies or plans, are also forward-looking statements. These statements involve risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this communication or elsewhere speak only as of the date made. New uncertainties and risks arise from time to time, and it is impossible for TNL Mediagene to predict these events or how they may affect TNL Mediagene. In addition, risks and uncertainties are described in TNL Mediagene's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These filings may identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. TNL Mediagene cannot assure you that the forward-looking statements in this communication will prove to be accurate. There may be additional risks that TNL Mediagene presently does not know or that TNL Mediagene currently does not believe are immaterial that could also cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements. In light of the significant uncertainties in these forward-looking statements, you should not regard these statements as a representation or warranty by TNL Mediagene, its directors, officers or employees or any other person. Except as required by applicable law, TNL Mediagene does not have any duty to, and does not intend to, update or revise the forward-looking statements in this communication or elsewhere after the date of this communication. You should, therefore, not rely on these forward-looking statements as representing the views of TNL Mediagene as of any date subsequent to the date of this communication.

 

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SOURCE TNL Mediagene

FAQ

What did TNL Mediagene (TNMG) announce on October 9, 2025 about PICTOLINE?

Mediagene signed a licensing agreement with Capital Digital to launch PICTOLINE JAPAN in early 2026.

When will PICTOLINE JAPAN launch under TNMG's plan?

The company plans to launch PICTOLINE JAPAN in the first half of 2026.

What audience metrics does PICTOLINE bring to TNMG for Japan?

PICTOLINE reports 132 million monthly content views and 9.5 million followers.

How is TNMG staffing the PICTOLINE JAPAN launch?

PICTOLINE co-founder Eduardo Salles has relocated to Japan for one year to serve as project lead.

Which platforms will PICTOLINE JAPAN target under TNMG's strategy?

The roll-out will focus on visual-first platforms such as Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok to reach younger audiences.

Will the PICTOLINE licensing deal disclose financial terms for TNMG shareholders?

The announcement does not disclose any financial or licensing terms.