Jeff Jarrett believes New Japan Pro-Wrestling’s recent sale could be a sign that the promotion’s live-event business has struggled to fully recover in recent years.
Speaking on his My World podcast, the WWE Hall of Famer and AEW star shared his thoughts on NJPW’s sale from Bushiroad to TV Asahi and Ameba, which was finalised last month. While many fans have focused on what the ownership change could mean for New Japan’s future, Jeff Jarrett was more interested in what may have led to the sale in the first place. Jarrett explained that New Japan’s business model differs significantly from major American promotions such as WWE and AEW.
“From a business perspective, New Japan is a 180 from WWE,” Jarrett said. “New Japan is driven by live events. WWE is driven by rights fees.”
According to Jarrett, WWE’s revenue structure is now built around major media agreements rather than traditional pay-per-view sales, making it fundamentally different from New Japan’s approach.
Although he admitted he was not familiar with all the details surrounding the transaction, Jarrett suggested the reported sale price may indicate concerns about New Japan’s long-term business outlook.
“For them to let it go for $30 million, Conrad, I think that just kind of says, and look, again, I don’t know the ins and outs of there, but that number to me was shockingly low,” he said.
Jeff Jarrett Believes NJPW’s Live Event Business Has Stagnated Since The COVID-19 Pandemic
Jeff Jarrett speculated that New Japan’s live event business may not have returned to pre-pandemic levels and questioned whether the promotion’s streaming platform, New Japan World, has developed into a significant revenue source.
He added that the sale price could reflect concerns about future growth and suggested the new ownership group saw an opportunity to take control of the promotion.
The ownership change has been one of the biggest stories in Japanese wrestling this year, with many observers closely watching how the transition will impact New Japan both creatively and financially in the years ahead.
