Report: NJPW In Talks With AXS TV
Will New Japan return to the channel?
Feb 19, 2021
New Japan Pro-Wrestling content can now be found on The Roku Channel and matches from Wrestle Kingdom 14 and New Year Dash 2020 are currently available on the platform as part of a new weekly series. More matches from 2020 will be added as the weeks go on and a library of historical content could also be made available.
The deal with Roku is reportedly not exclusive and NJPW is free to pursue another TV deal centred around different content if they so desire.
According to Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer, this is something New Japan is currently doing and the promotion is in talks with AXS TV. Meltzer described the talks as "significant" and there is a "decent" chance both sides will strike a deal and rekindle their partnership.
If a deal is made, it would likely lead to further dealings between NJPW and IMPACT Wrestling. Both sides recently started working together again and former IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Champions FinJuice debuted in the IMPACT Zone earlier this week.
New Japan previously had a TV deal in the United States with AXS TV from 2014 until December 2019. AXS was interested in bringing NJPW content back to the channel before the Roku deal was announced, but New Japan opted to go with The Roku Channel instead.
