NJPW's Contract Ends With AXS TV In January 2021

New Japan Pro Wrestling's current contract with AXS TV expires in January 2021, according to the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

As of now, the future of NJPW remaining on AXS TV is unknown after this week's news of Anthem Sports & Entertainment, the parent company of Impact Wrestling, acquired a majority interest in Mark Cuban's AXS TV and HDNet Movies. Anthem will now assume daily operations of the two channels with Women of Wrestling and NJPW currently airing on AXS TV.

"Anthem has been public that it has not made any decisions regarding current programming," said Ed Nordholm, Chief Corporate Officer of Anthem, and who is also in charge of Impact. "We have been long-time broadcast partners with TV Asahi for NJPW at Fight Network and hope to build on that relationship. We are in the middle of a season with WOW and about to tape another series of episodes next week, so no reason to make any decisions there in the short term. We're looking forward to getting to know them better."

NJPW originally made it to AXS TV, thanks to Adam Swift, the company's former Vice President of Legal Affairs. Swift grew up tape trading Japanese wrestling, which sparked his idea to bring it to the channel. Due to the sale, a number of AXS TV staff members were laid off (including Swift), along with the Dallas office being shut down. Swift's idea was given the okay by Andrew Simon, CEO of AXS TV Fights, who was also let go earlier this week.

AXS TV has been a NJPW broadcast partner since 2014.

Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter

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