New Japan Pro Wrestling is returning to television in the United States.
The company recently revealed they’ve worked out a deal with the Roku Channel, airing previously recorded matches that have yet to make the air in the United States. It’s their first time on American television since losing their show on AXS in 2019. New Japan had been working to expand their presence in the United States before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, but has finally started gaining momentum once again thanks to their new working relationship with AEW.
Starting Thursday February 11th, the Roku Channel will have a weekly one-hour program at 5pm Eastern in the US, Canada, and UK. Other content from the company will be available on demand, but apparently there were other networks in play to bring the company back to US television.
The Wrestling Observer Newsletter has reported the company also had talks with ESPN, CBS Sports, and Vice. There had been interest by the CBS Sports Network, but there was no money offered in the deal, just a split of advertising availability.
Vice and ESPN had been looking for proof of viewership numbers during their time on AXS, but none was available leading to no deal being made. The report has added that the deal with Roku isn’t exclusive, so if the show does well and Roku can provide data of viewership, that data could possibly be used to secure another deal for the company with different content.
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