President Hiroshi Tanahashi issues statement after NJPW sale finalized
With the calendar flipping over to July, Bushiroad officially no longer owns New Japan Pro Wrestling.
The sale process was completed at the end of June with Bushiroad transferring all of its ownership shares to TV Asahi and CyberAgent. Those two companies now own an equal 46.3 percent of NJPW, though the promotion will operate as a “consolidated subsidiary” of TV Asahi while receiving support from CyberAgent.
NJPW posted a video today with Hiroshi Tanahashi, the president of the promotion, speaking to fans about the news and how NJPW plans to grow under its new ownership. He also assured fans that, while NJPW and Stardom are no longer owned by the same parent company, they will continue to have a relationship. Stardom remains under the Bushiroad umbrella and has not been sold.
- This is Tanahashi, president of New Japan Pro-Wrestling.
- As previously announced, yesterday, June 30, all shares held by Bushiroad were transferred to TV Asahi and CyberAgent, and New Japan Pro-Wrestling has become a consolidated subsidiary of TV Asahi.
- TV Asahi has recognized New Japan’s tradition of producing numerous star wrestlers and nurturing new talent, as well as the passion of our fans both in Japan and abroad, our global brand power, our ability to stage successful events, and the value of our video content.
- This year, TV Asahi broadcast two of our events on prime-time national television.
- Moving forward, together with our wrestlers, employees, and executives, we will continue to enhance New Japan’s appeal and corporate value so that TV Asahi will be inspired to help us grow even further.
- With the cooperation of CyberAgent, we believe that by making our wrestlers even more famous and helping them shine, we will fill arenas to capacity and bring joy to our fans.
- We are committed to working harder and with greater dedication than ever before. We ask for your continued support, everyone watching this video.
- Furthermore, we will cherish the relationship we have built with Stardom and continue to strive together as good rivals. Fans of both organizations, please rest assured.
- Now, it’s time for the new New Japan Pro-Wrestling to take its first step toward the next stage. Stay tuned!
NJPW ownership change —
TV Asahi already owned more than 20 percent of NJPW before acquiring more shares in this process. Bushiroad owned 70 percent of the promotion, with 3,550,200 of those shares being transferred to TV Asahi and 6,950,200 shares being transferred to CyberAgent. The transfer is valued at approximately 3.6 billion yen (roughly $22.6 million).
Under new ownership, NJPW has hyped that it will be able to leverage TV Asahi’s strong traditional broadcast base and CyberAgent’s new digital media operations to help the company grow. TV Asahi is NJPW’s long-time TV partner, partnered with NJPW to launch NJPW World, and controls the promotion’s video library.
CyberAgent runs the streaming platform Abema and already has its hands in pro wrestling ownership, owning Pro Wrestling NOAH, DDT Pro Wrestling, and Tokyo Joshi Pro through its subsidiary CyberFight.
Bushiroad had owned NJPW since 2012, seeing the company through a period of revitalization and international expansion. The COVID pandemic took a toll on NJPW’s business in 2020, with the promotion attempting to rebound in the years since and build new stars like Yota Tsuji, Shota Umino, Yuya Uemura, Ren Narita, Callum Newman, and Aaron Wolf.
Joseph Currier is the lead editor of F4WOnline.com, directing daily news coverage and writing articles on professional wrestling. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, obtaining a journalism degree in 2016. Joseph joined F4W during his time at UMass and has now been writing about the industry for nearly a decade.
In addition to his work with F4W, Joseph has previously contributed to Sports Illustrated's wrestling coverage. He lives in Massachusetts and is a diehard fan of the Boston sports teams and Liverpool Football Club.