WWE has announced a new media rights deal in Japan, its first since 2021.
Tokyo Sports broke the story this morning. Starting in October WWE Raw, SmackDown, NXT, and all future premium live events will air exclusively on ABEMA. A press release has since been issued revealing the full details, which you can check out below.
Raw and SmackDown will both broadcast free-to-air in Japan every week with Japanese commentary immediately following first broadcast in the U.S., for the first time ever. Starting with Raw on Tuesday, October 3 (and every Tuesday night at 8pm local time) and SmackDown on Saturday, October 7 (and every Saturday night at 8pm local time), both weekly shows will also be available to watch on-demand. The new agreement will also see NXT available to watch on-demand in Japan via ABEMA Video.
Additionally, all WWE Premium Live Events will air exclusively live on ABEMA, with all past editions of WrestleMania available to view on-demand via ABEMA Video beginning October 1.
