WWE announces new international broadcast rights for RAW and SmackDown
WWE announced in a press release that it has signed a new deal to broadcast RAW, SmackDown, and Premium Live Events exclusively on ABEMA in Japan, which is a free ad-supported streaming station. The shows will air with Japanese commentary for the first time.
RAW will air every Tuesday at 8 PM local time beginning on October 3 this year, while SmackDown will be broadcast every Saturday at the same time slot starting October 7. Premium Live Events will air live on the platform, including major events like SummerSlam, Royal Rumble, Survivor Series, and WrestleMania. They will be available on demand as well, beginning October 1.
WWE programs aired on J Sports for many years, but they stopped broadcasting on the channel in 2021, according to Tokyo Sports. However, beginning next month, fans in Japan will be able to watch their favorite superstars free of charge on ABEMA.
Several superstars commented on WWE signing a new deal with ABEMA
World Wrestling Entertainment is the largest wrestling company in the world, and the promotion houses some of the best wrestlers in the entire globe. These stars are regarded as heroes by many people and are looked up to by many kids.
After it was announced that RAW, SmackDown, and Premium Live Events will begin airing on ABEMA starting next month, several stars took to Twitter to comment on the matter, including Gunther, The Great Muta, IYO SKY, Asuka, Shinsuke Nakamura, and Akira Tozawa.
Japanese wrestling legend The Great Muta wrote:
"This is the important announcement! As an ABEMA Pro Wrestling Ambassador, I will also be attending the live special program starting at 9pm tomorrow night! Do not miss it!"
The Empress of Tomorrow wrote:
"Well, every time I do something, I'm on the verge of achieving and breaking records, so if you watch WWE on Abema, I think you'll be able to see the moment when records are broken in real time! Real Living Legend."
One of Japan's biggest exports, Shinsuke Nakamura, will challenge Seth Rollins for the World Heavyweight Championship in a Last Man Standing Match at Fastlane 2023.
Are you excited about WWE being aired on ABEMA? Sound off in the comments section below!