Bushiroad Sells NJPW Shares to TV Asahi and CyberAgent
The professional wrestling landscape in Japan has experienced a monumental shift. In an unexpected corporate announcement on May 27, 2026, Bushiroad Inc. confirmed that following a meeting of its Board of Directors, the company has agreed to sell 100 percent of its shares in New Japan Pro-Wrestling. The purchasing parties are long-time broadcasting partner TV Asahi Corporation and digital media conglomerate CyberAgent, Inc.
The transaction officially brings an end to Bushiroad’s 14-year tenure as NJPW’s parent company, a highly successful era that began in 2012 and saw the promotion achieve historic financial peaks and international brand expansion. Following the completion of the share transfer, NJPW will be excluded from Bushiroad’s consolidation scope and will instead become an official consolidated subsidiary of TV Asahi.
According to internal corporate data regarding the transfer, CyberAgent is set to acquire approximately 55 percent of the shares, while TV Asahi will absorb the remaining 35 percent of Bushiroad's block. When combined with the 10 percent minority stake TV Asahi already possessed, the broadcaster will hold a 45 percent stake, commanding operational control over the legendary wrestling promotion. Minor shareholder Amuse Inc. will retain its remaining 5 percent.
NJPW President Hiroshi Tanahashi issued an official statement following the board's decision, expressing deep gratitude to Bushiroad for its transformational support over the last decade and a half. Tanahashi noted that Bushiroad played a pivotal role in the significant growth of New Japan Pro-Wrestling through large-scale advertising and strategic backing. He emphasized that under the new corporate structure, NJPW will strive as a consolidated subsidiary of TV Asahi, backed by CyberAgent, to achieve remarkable growth while keeping its core mission to provide top-tier wrestling entertainment completely unchanged.
The involvement of CyberAgent introduces an incredibly fascinating dynamic to the domestic wrestling market. CyberAgent is already the parent company of CyberFight, the umbrella corporation that manages chief NJPW rivals Pro Wrestling NOAH, DDT Pro-Wrestling, and Tokyo Joshi Pro-Wrestling. CyberAgent also operates ABEMA, the exclusive streaming home of WWE programming in Japan. While analysts initially raised questions about domestic anti-monopoly concerns, NJPW’s official statement clarified that there are currently no plans to alter day-to-day business operations or events.
Bushiroad's press release outlined that the decision was made to optimize the company group's overall business portfolio. Leadership determined that NJPW’s long-term digital, video content, and global monetization strategies would be better maximized under the joint stewardship of TV Asahi’s extensive broadcasting platform and CyberAgent’s elite digital media operations.
While the historic share transfer is slated to be formally finalized on June 30, 2026, the immediate focus for the roster remains on the upcoming Dominion event on June 14, which will proceed under the standard TV Asahi broadcasting banner. With the King of Sports entering a brave new corporate era, the wrestling community will be closely watching how this massive consolidation impacts domestic booking, streaming infrastructure, and NJPW’s highly lucrative international partnerships moving forward.