AXS TV is doing things a little different for the January 4, 2019, Wrestle Kingdom show. This year they will broadcast a two-hour edition of New Japan Pro Wrestling‘s biggest show of the year on the same day it airs in Japan. 

The press release read:

AXS TV ushers in a new era of its NEW JAPAN PRO WRESTLING (NJPW) coverage with real-time same-week coverage of the promotions’ biggest events in 2019. The new schedule kicks off with a same-day near-live two-hour broadcast of NJPW’s biggest event of the year, Wrestle Kingdom 13, on Friday, Jan. 4 at 8pE/5pP.

The Wrestle Kingdom special is headlined by IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi and IWGP Intercontinental Champion Chris Jericho vs. Tetsuya Naito, and will feature the network debut of the NJPW commentary team of Kevin Kelly and Don Callis.

“Same-day coverage of NJPW’s Wrestle Kingdom 13 ushers in a new era of NJPW on AXS TV,” said AXS TV FIGHTS CEO Andrew Simon. “Based on the tremendous growth of NJPW on AXS TV, we are making major changes to reward wrestling fans by delivering NJPW in primetime on Friday nights as close to when it takes place as possible.”

AXS TV’s upcoming NJPW schedule is as follows (subject to change):

Jan. 4 – Wrestle Kingdom 13 (2 hours)
Jan. 11 – Wrestle Kingdom 13 (2 hours)
Jan. 18 – Wrestle Kingdom 13
Jan. 25 – New Year Dash
Feb. 1 – New Year Dash
Feb. 8 – New Beginning in Sapporo
Feb. 15 – New Beginning in Sapporo
Feb. 22 – New Beginning in Sapporo