AEW content may be leaving NJPW World in Japan, but that does not automatically mean the AEW and NJPW partnership is in trouble, even with the change in ownership for NJPW.
Mike Johnson of PWInsider was asked whether the change in ownership could affect NJPW’s relationship with AEW, especially since CyberAgent owns ABEMA, the Japanese streaming home of WWE. Johnson pushed back on the idea that this would create a major problem: “TV Asahi has a minority ownership in ABEMA, so I don’t think there will be any major cause or effect there.”
Johnson then clarified the relationship between the companies, noting that CyberAgent does not own Asahi and that the two sides are simply working together: “CyberAgents doesn’t have any ownership in Asahi. The two entities are working together.”
This comes after NJPW World confirmed that AEW programming will be removed from the service once the current deal expires on August 31, 2026. New episodes of Dynamite and Collision will stop being added by the end of June, with Japanese viewers being directed to MyAEW for weekly AEW programming from July onward.
Even with AEW leaving NJPW World as a weekly streaming option, Forbidden Door pay-per-views are still expected to remain available through the platform. Johnson’s comments suggest the streaming change does not necessarily point to a larger split between AEW and NJPW.
For now, the AEW-NJPW relationship appears to be staying intact where it matters most, even if the way Japanese fans access AEW programming is changing. This looks more like a platform shift than a partnership collapse.
Do you think AEW leaving NJPW World will hurt its visibility in Japan, or will fans simply move over to MyAEW? Let us know your thoughts and feedback in the comments below.