According to an official statement from Mnet, “Produce 48” is a project that will combine the competition system of “Produce 101,” featuring viewers selecting which idols will debut, with the “idols you can meet” concept of AKB48, which performs in a designated theater for fans. “Produce 48” will aim to form a global girl group. Mnet has teamed up with AKB48’s producer Yasushi Akimoto for the project, and they’re collaborating with him to prepare a show that will present new experiences to Korean and Japanese viewers as well as music fans. Mnet’s “Produce 48” will be airing in mid-2018, and this AKB48 and “Produce 101” collaboration is said to be a program that will be on an unprecedented scale.