Bushiroad Announces Transfer Of All Shares In NJPW To TV Asahi And CyberAgent

NJPW

Bushiroad has announced that it is transfering all of its shares of NJPW to TV Ashi and CyberAgent.

The company which acquired NJPW in 2012 has announced in a statement that this transfer of shares is to “entrust the future to the best possible owner”.

Per Bushiroad:

Thank you very much for your continued support of New Japan Pro-Wrestling.

Today, we have decided to transfer all of our shares in New Japan Pro-Wrestling to TV Asahi and CyberAgent. We understand that this announcement may come as a surprise to many of our fans.

In 2012, at a major turning point as New Japan Pro-Wrestling aimed for further development, we were fortunate enough to welcome them into the group. For the past 14 years, we have believed in the power of professional wrestling as a wonderful form of entertainment, and together with everyone, we have worked tirelessly to deliver its appeal to even more people.

Thanks to our efforts, the Tokyo Dome event on January 4th of this year attracted a record-breaking 46,913 spectators, achieving a sold-out show for the first time in 28 years. Having overcome the challenges of generational change, young stars in their 20s and 30s are now emerging one after another, shining brightly in the ring. As Bushiroad, it is a great source of pride for me to witness New Japan Pro-Wrestling’s powerful growth and to be able to pass the baton to the next generation.

However, for New Japan Pro-Wrestling to make further global strides and continue its golden age, it is essential to make the most of the video assets it has accumulated so far and to evolve into a diversified monetization business centered on a powerful distribution platform.

Therefore, we are convinced that the best course of action is to entrust the future to the best possible owner, who will be our partner from the very beginning of our founding, TV Asahi, who has continuously supported New Japan Pro-Wrestling through terrestrial broadcasting, and who will bring a breath of fresh air with cutting-edge digital media.

To all the fans, and to the wrestlers and staff who have supported New Japan Pro-Wrestling with their passionate battles, thank you so much for walking alongside Bushiroad all this time. Your passion and cheers were our greatest driving force.

Although it will no longer be under Bushiroad’s control, I can confidently say that the future of New Japan Pro-Wrestling is brighter than ever. As a passionate pro-wrestling fan, I will continue to support the further golden age that you all create.

Thank you so much for the past 14 years. Please look forward to what’s to come from New Japan Pro-Wrestling.

(Translated from Japanese by Google)

A separate article on NJPW’s website stated that the company doesn’t currently have plans to make any changes to business operations.

The Bushiroad era of NJPW saw the company firmly establish itself on the global level, with this era seeing the likes of the Bullet Club and The Elite emerge in Japan.

The Japanese promotion is in an interesting chapter of its career, building younger stars like current IWGP Heavyweight Champion Callum Newman.

We will continue to provide updates on the future of NJPW as they become available.

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• NJPW
• Bushiroad
• cyberagent
• TV Asahi

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