New Japan Pro Wrestling was given the opportunity to return to AXS TV but decided against it and chose a deal with ROKU instead. According to Wrestling Observer Radio, AXS TV showed interest in bringing NJPW back, but the company chose to go with ROKU as they felt the streaming brand was better in terms of company strategy.
While the deal with ROKU is not an exclusive deal, it gives NJPW an opportunity to explore more options to land a future cable television network deal. The issue with AXS TV came down to not expanding their brand on other platforms if they were signed back to AXS TV and locked down to a contract with them. With ROKU, NJPW has the opportunity to expand their company in the United States.
