How To Watch WWE Raw, SmackDown, And NXT In Japan?
WWE Fans in Japan Get Easier Access to Wrestling Action Good news for WWE fans in Japan! Watching WWE’s weekly shows and premium live events (PLEs) just got a lot simpler. Today, WWE announced a new media partnership with the free ad-supported streaming service ABEMA. Starting next month, Japanese fans can catch Raw, SmackDown, and PLEs through this platform. Notably, this marks the first time that Raw and SmackDown will be available for free in Japan with Japanese commentary, and they’ll be up less than 24 hours after airing in the U.S. In addition to Raw and SmackDown, WWE PLEs will be accessible on ABEMA, and you can also watch “WWE NXT” on demand. As part of this agreement, Japanese fans can enjoy every edition of WrestleMania on demand, beginning October 1. It’s worth mentioning that WWE has been without a Japanese media partner for over a year since its deal with J Sports ended. Unlike J Sports, which required a subscription and had Japanese subtitles but lacked Japanese commentary, ABEMA offers a new, more accessible way for fans to enjoy WWE content. ABEMA, which launched in 2016, has recently ventured into live sports streaming, including MLB games in 2021 and the FIFA World Cup in 2022. The platform also holds the rights to broadcast some Premier League and Bundesliga soccer matches. Here are the details for watching WWE in Japan: – WWE RAW airs at 8 p.m. on Tuesday nights. – WWE SmackDown is on at 8 p.m. on Saturdays. – WWE NXT can be watched on demand. For those looking for online streaming options, consider these platforms: – WWE Network: This premium streaming service offers a vast library of WWE content, including live events like NXT No Mercy. Simply log in to your WWE Network account to enjoy the show. – J Sports: Another reliable option for streaming WWE content in Japan, often providing live streams of WWE events for online streaming fans. Former WWE Cruiserweight Champion Akira Tozawa shared the news in Japanese, confirming that ABEMA is the go-to place for WWE programming in the future. Japanese broadcasts of “Raw” and “SmackDown” with Japanese commentary will be available one day after the U.S. broadcasts. Previously, WWE’s distribution in Japan relied on a partnership with J Sports, which ended in early 2022 after more than two decades. Under that deal, Japanese fans had to pay for a subscription to access WWE programming. Now, everything will be accessible for free on ABEMA. Japan has a thriving professional wrestling scene, hosting promotions like New Japan Pro-Wrestling, All Japan Pro Wrestling, DDT, Pro Wrestling NOAH, Dragon Gate, and more. While there were rumors of WWE considering an NXT branch in Japan, there hasn’t been significant progress on that front in recent years, although that could change in the future.
WWE Is Back In Japan After 2021, Sets To Begin From October 2023
WWE has just made a big announcement regarding its shows in Japan. They’ve partnered with ABEMA, a streaming service, to bring RAW, Smackdown, and WWE Pay-Per-Views (PPVs) to Japanese fans. This is a significant move because, for the first time, people in Japan can watch WWE for free. The broadcasts will also include Japanese commentary, making it more accessible to local viewers. The shows will be available on ABEMA within twelve hours of their airing in the United States. This marks WWE’s return to Japanese screens after nearly two years. ABEMA has secured an exclusive deal to broadcast Raw and SmackDown, starting in October. Raw will be shown every Tuesday at 8 PM, beginning October 3rd, while SmackDown will air every Saturday, starting October 7th, also at 8 PM. Both of these shows will have Japanese commentary and will be free to watch. Additionally, starting October 1, you can catch all the WrestleMania events on ABEMA Video. WWE’s premium live events will also be available to watch in Japan. ABEMA will become WWE’s home in Japan, offering Raw and SmackDown with Japanese commentary for the first time, along with exciting live broadcasts of premium events like WrestleMania, SummerSlam, and Fastlane. This collaboration between WWE and ABEMA comes into effect in October 2023. Raw and SmackDown will air weekly for free in Japan, with the added benefit of Japanese commentary and on-demand viewing. This agreement also includes NXT, which can be watched on-demand via ABEMA Video. Moreover, all WWE Premium Live Events will be exclusively broadcast live on ABEMA, and fans can enjoy past editions of WrestleMania on-demand through ABEMA Video, starting October 1. In anticipation of this exciting development, there will be a special WWE broadcast called the “Emergency RAW Special Program” on September 29th at 9 PM. This program will highlight WWE’s arrival on ABEMA, with Keiji Muto (known as the Great Muta) serving as an Ambassador of ABEMA wrestling. Muto had made an appearance at WWE Payback in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and was recently inducted into the company’s Hall of Fame this year. Back in late 2021, the long-standing partnership between J Sports and WWE came to an end. J Sports used to broadcast Raw and SmackDown live in English, as well as one-hour highlight versions of the shows with Japanese subtitles. This move to ABEMA could be a significant step for WWE in Japan, a market they’ve been eyeing for quite some time. It might be the first move toward achieving their long-term goal of establishing a Performance Center in Japan. It will be interesting to see how this new partnership unfolds. What do you think about WWE’s move to Japan? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
