New Japan Pro Wrestling Launches Internet Streaming Service
As the WWE Network struggles to cement its audience, arguably its biggest competitor and the internet’s favorite wrestling federation New Japan Pro Wrestling have launched their own WWE Network-style streaming service. Enter: NJPW World!
From NJPW World:
NJPW and TV Asahi jointlt started the VIDEO Streaming Service, named NJPW World, as from Dec. 1 !
Many Exciting Matches from the old time. like Inoki vs Hogan, Inoki vs Andre The Giant … Stan Hansen, B.V.Vader, Fujinami Choshu … to the recent ones are available, with the prive Yen 999 / month !
A monthly subscription costs 999 yen, or roughly $8.40 a month. Compared to the WWE Network always touting $9.99, that has gotta hurt.
NJPW is very popular with wrestling fans outside Japan (and their sheer numbers can be attributed solely to the internet, they would not have this reach in the tape-trading days of the ’90s), but owner Takaaki Kidani was still “blown away” by the number of foreign subscribers, according to 411mani via The Wrestling Observer. Because of this, an English-language version of the site may launch sooner than later.
It is entirely fascinating how much NJPW has become a legitimate competitor to the WWE in recent years. With TNA Impact Wrestling leaving the well-known Spike for the lesser Destination America, there is no wrestling organization that can go toe-to-toe with WWE. And yes, there is that spin that WWE does not consider other wrestling federations their competitor, it’s other TV shows. Which is just weird. I get it, WWE has characters going on journeys, but other TV shows have seasons and character arcs. WWE Superstars have feuds that mysteriously end. Disgruntled with the product, many wrestling fans have taken to New Japan Pro Wrestling, because even the indie federations just don’t satisfy like they used to. And let’s be honest, the golden age of the indies were in the mid-’00s when everyone rocked at Ring of Honor.
How about it, Geekscape? Will you guys be subscribing?
