AXS TV sent out the following press release:
AXS TV FIGHTS SIGNS MULTI-YEAR AGREEMENT WITH TV ASAHI FOR HIT SERIES ‘NEW JAPAN PRO WRESTLING’
LOS ANGELES – July 23, 2015 – AXS TV FIGHTS today announced a multi-year agreement with TV Asahi to continue to air the hit series NEW JAPAN PRO WRESTLING (NJPW), which first premiered on the network in January. As a part of the agreement, AXS TV adds 17 additional episodes to its current season, bringing the total number aired in 2015 to 42.
Starting Aug. 14 through the end of the year, NJPW episodes feature matches from Destruction in Kobe, King of Pro-Wrestling 2014, Power Struggle 2014, World Tag League 2014, Wrestle Kingdom 9, Fantasticamania 2015, The New Beginning in Osaka 2015 and The New Beginning in Sendai. Former UFC heavyweight champion and NJPW veteran Josh Barnett and renowned combat sports commentator Mauro Ranallo, will continue to provide their critically acclaimed commentary for the series.
In the past 12 months, AXS TV expanded its Friday night combat sports and professional wrestling programming line-up, adding the hour-long NJPW series at 9 p.m. ET along with two new promotions, CES MMA and Legacy Kickboxing, to its weekly, live AXS TV FIGHTS broadcasts at 10 p.m. ET. The network is on pace to broadcast 41 live MMA, Muay Thai and Kickboxing events this year, the most in its history and more than any other U.S. television network in 2015.
Additionally, in the past year AXS TV FIGHTS has increased its global presence with agreements to broadcast its combat sports events in over 15 countries, including live broadcasts of Resurrection Fighting Alliance to the Fight Network in Canada and Legacy Fighting Championship to Esporte Interativo in Brazil.
“With this multi-year agreement, AXS TV is poised to offer a more diverse combat sports and professional wrestling programming line-up than any other TV network, offering an exciting mix of exclusive live events, New Japan Pro Wrestling and MMA news coverage,” said Andrew Simon, CEO of AXS TV FIGHTS. “We are humbled by the viewer’s and media’s response to Mauro Ranallo and Josh Barnett’s commentary and presentation of the series and are excited to continue to work with our great partners at TV Asahi and NJPW for years to come.”
AXS TV’s NJPW episodes are produced by and acquired from TV ASAHI CORPORATION.