AEW has revealed that its shows will be available on Hulu Japan starting this fall. The announcement was made on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday, stating, “We’re excited to announce that starting this fall, Hulu Japan will be streaming All Elite Wrestling. Get ready for AEW each week as Hulu Japan will offer #AEWDynamite, #AEWCollision, and #AEW PPV events. The next chapter for AEW continues on Hulu Japan!” However, a specific launch date was not provided.
It’s important to note that Hulu Japan operates independently from the Hulu service in the United States. Launched in 2011 as Hulu’s only international branch, the platform was acquired by Nippon Television in 2014. Today, it functions as HJ Holdings, a subsidiary of Nippon TV Holdings, and has no connection to the Disney-owned Hulu in the U.S.
This agreement comes after AEW’s programming departed from NJPW World earlier this year. New Japan Pro-Wrestling announced in June that AEW content would be removed from NJPW World—where Dynamite and Collision had been streamed free to subscribers since April 2022. New episodes stopped uploading following the June 24 Dynamite and the June 27 Collision, with the archive of Dynamite, Collision, Rampage, Battle of the Belts, and AEW specials taken down when the contract ended on August 31. However, Forbidden Door pay-per-views remained available for purchase.
In its announcement, NJPW encouraged Japanese viewers to access AEW content via MyAEW, AEW’s own international streaming platform.
This exit from NJPW World coincided with changes in ownership. Bushiroad sold its shares in New Japan Pro-Wrestling to TV Asahi and CyberAgent, the latter of which owns several other wrestling promotions including Pro Wrestling NOAH, Tokyo Joshi Pro, and DDT. Wrestling Observer Newsletter’s Dave Meltzer noted that AEW’s removal from NJPW World was related more to Bushiroad’s shifting business priorities than any conflict between AEW and New Japan, especially since both companies collaborated on the Forbidden Door event in June.
Fan Take:
This move to Hulu Japan signals AEW’s growing international reach and its commitment to expanding its fanbase in Asia. For wrestling enthusiasts, easier access to AEW programming in Japan could foster new rivalries and collaborations, ultimately enriching the global wrestling scene.
Source: wrestlingnews.co
