Photo c/o Masahiro Kubota, MP (c)
By: James Carlin
Today is the joint business strategy presentation from STARDOM and New Japan Pro-Wrestling and a recap will be given of what is shown at the presentation. NJPW’s Hiroshi Tanahashi, Shota Umino, Master Wato and STARDOM’s Mayu Iwatani, Giulia, and Natsupoi are making appearances at this presentation.
The show starts with Mayu Iwatani, Natsupoi and Giulia sitting down with Takaaki Kidani, founder and representative director of Bushiroad.
The screen shows the annual profits of STARDOM since 2019, with the company achieving 1.5 billion yen in profits for 2023.
Almost 1 million people have subscribed to the “STARDOM official” YouTube channel, and their viewership primarily comes from Asian countries such as India, Indonesia and Vietnam. Over 120 million views on the YouTube channel in September 2023.
The presentation also states that people coming to shows year-on-year is also increasing. With 110,000 estimated in 2023, and already over 80,000 this year.
STARDOM officially announced that they will be in Thailand on October 21st and 22nd, and in Singapore on November 24th and 26th, both part of the Bushiroad Expo. Natsupoi is asked where she would like to go overseas, considering Iwatani and Giulia have previously, saying either would be fine. She starts speaking Korean when asked to do an advertisement for Stardom in Thailand.
In 2023, there were 141 STARDOM shows. This is 71 more than the amount they ran in 2018, which was 70, and 26 more than the amount of shows they ran last year, which was 115.
Six more pay-per-view events are announced for the end of the year:
On January 4th, Stardom will run a Ittenyon show at Tokyo Dome City Hall, the day of Wrestle Kingdom (earlier in the day). This show will be main evented by an IWGP Women’s Championship match, and Stardom will not appear at the Tokyo Dome this year.
STARDOM’s aim is to run all 47 prefectures. They ran 44 this year.
All Star Grand Queendom is on April 27th 2024, from the Yokohama Buntai, which was formally the Yokohama Cultural Gymnasium, and holds a capacity of 5,000 people.
The biopic based on Mayu Iwatani’s story “Runaway Wrestler” will release in Japan in May 2024.
NJPW President Takami Ohbari and Takaaki Kidani come on stage. They are joined by Hiroshi Tanahashi, Shota Umino, and Master Wato.
Record-highs are projected now that crowds are back, and revenue has reached 98% of pre-pandemic peak. Sales outside of venues have also increased dramatically. Tanahashi says that wrestlers were able to evolve their presentation during a non-cheering environment, and they can apply it to the present now that cheering has returned.
Wrestlers who have debuted in the late 2010s are given a spotlight, and it is mentioned how Young Lions are graduating one after another very quickly.
It was noted that three prospects who were featured on “The Spirit” reality TV show earlier this year passed their pro-tests, and that the NJPW Dojo is at the fullest it has ever been.
New Japan Pro-Wrestling has more sponsorship and partnership deals than they had even before the pandemic.
A new version of NJPW World is set to launch on November 9th, and TV presence for NJPW events are still strong both in Japan and in the United States.
NJPW will take over the Suidobashi area for the duration of Wrestle Kingdom week, and plans are set for the company to have a full Hokkaido tour for the first time in 11 years, after the pandemic put a stop to it in 2020.
A new phrase of international expansion will come soon, and following the success of the Royal Quest events in the UK as well as NJPW Tamashii, Taipei in Taiwan will have a show in 2024. Adding onto this, Master Wato hopes that his kung-fu influenced wrestling style will inspire more people in Asia to get into wrestling and even become wrestlers.
Yota Tsuji is sitting at this presentation, and he asks Kidani where he thinks elsewhere is key for NJPW to expand into, after 60% of people in the world are from Asia. Kidani responds by saying that the top three markets are Japan, the US and the UK – this is because they run events there. Kidani also says that wrestling has a very Anglo-Saxon fanbase, and that they have to show people in Asia just what professional wrestling is about. It’s not easy, but a necessary step worth taking.
NJPW Strong Spirits will have big events with STARDOM, NJPW legends and Pro-Wrestling NOAH. Re-Birth For You will get booster packs from NJPWxSTARDOM.
Historic X-Over 2 is announced for 2024. The name is not final and may change. Shota Umino criticizes Tanahashi for getting a little carried away with the “mixed tag team” rules last year, and says that he wants fans to choose the teams this time. Giulia hints at teaming again with NJPW World TV Champion Zack Sabre Jr. Iwatani wants to team with Tanahashi. She wanted to last year, but she was in the IWGP Women’s Title tournament last year instead, facing KAIRI.
The Asia Pacific Pro-Wrestling Alliance is announced, consisting of NJPW, STARDOM, SETUP (Thailand), PUZZLE (Taiwan), DFW (China), GrappleMAX (Singapore) and more. Kidani hopes that this partnership will help to find and develop stars from these areas, and once again re-iterating the belief of wanting to form a pro-wrestling culture where there isn’t one in these countries.
All photos by Masahiro Kubota, copyright Monthly Puroresu LLC.
Date:
October 10, 2023
Category:
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