A new report has provided additional details on the circumstances surrounding Bushiroad’s sale of New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW).
As we previously reported here on eWn, NJPW announced on May 27, 2026, that parent company Bushiroad had transferred all of its shares in the promotion to TV Asahi and CyberAgent. Both companies now hold equal 46.3 percent stakes, with NJPW set to operate primarily as a consolidated subsidiary of TV Asahi while receiving support from CyberAgent.
According to Japanese publication Weekly Gendai, Bushiroad had been exploring a sale of NJPW since 2025 after determining that it had maximized the level of profit it could generate from the promotion.
The report states that Bushiroad approached NJPW’s longtime broadcast partner, TV Asahi, in February 2026 regarding a potential deal. TV Asahi already owned a 22.7 percent stake in NJPW at the time. Citing a source within TV Asahi, Weekly Gendai reported that the broadcaster was receptive to the proposal but felt it would be difficult to take on the acquisition alone, leading to CyberAgent becoming involved in the process. The source said,
“Bushiroad felt they had reached the limits of how much profit they could make from New Japan Pro-Wrestling, so they had been considering selling it since around last year. That’s when, around February, they approached the upper management of TV Asahi, which has been broadcasting New Japan matches for many years.”
CyberAgent’s interest in the deal is notable given its existing presence in the wrestling industry through its subsidiary CyberFight, which owns Pro Wrestling NOAH, DDT Pro-Wrestling, and Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling. According to Weekly Gendai, CyberAgent views professional wrestling as one of its strongest opportunities for international growth and overseas expansion, making NJPW an attractive addition to its portfolio.
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