New TNA Home

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(Silver Spring, Md.) – Discovery Communications announced today that it has signed a multi-year deal with TNA (Total Nonstop Action) IMPACT WRESTLING to bring the popular league to homes nationwide on Destination America, the only network dedicated to celebrating the people, places and stories of the United States. Destination America officially enters the ring with its first world premiere of IMPACT WRESTLING in January 2015. The series features some of the biggest names in professional wrestling, including Jeff Hardy, Bobby Roode, Kurt Angle, Bobby Lashley and Gail Kim. The partnership includes the U.S. premieres of additional TNA WRESTLING series and specials and provides Discovery Communications with international broadcasting rights in select regions, to be announced at a later date.

 

“Our partnership in this uniquely entertaining franchise with TNA IMPACT WRESTLING provides a significant addition to Destination America’s programming strategy,” said Henry Schleiff, Group President of Destination America, Investigation Discovery, American Heroes Channel, Discovery Fit & Health and Discovery Family Channel. “The enduring, cross-generational enthusiasm of pro wrestling is felt by millions of fans around the country, from coast-to-coast and throughout the heartland. We are delighted to bring this beloved American pastime to the one and only network dedicated to celebrating the unique spirit of the U.S., Destination America.”

 

“Our knockout partnership with TNA IMPACT WRESTLING continues Destination America’s mission of bringing our viewers the best of all-American entertainment, and going center ring with one of the world’s foremost professional wrestling leagues fits perfectly within our DNA,” said Marc Etkind, general manager of Destination America. “Wrestling has created a fiercely loyal, passionate and widespread fan base, and we look forward to being part of the TNA family.”

 

“We are very excited about Destination America being the new network for IMPACT WRESTLING and the partnership with Discovery Communications both domestically and across the globe. Their commitment to promote and grow our brand in innovative and compelling ways was instrumental in knowing we had found the right home,” said TNA President Dixie Carter. “Together we will create an experience that takes our fans on a new journey that will push the envelope of technology, including where we take our cameras, going deeper into our superstars’ lives and showing the reality of what it takes to create a weekly professional wrestling show, all while showcasing the very best male and female athletes in the world.”

 

Since launching in 2012, Destination America has become one of cable’s top five fastest-growing networks*, earning 10 consecutive quarters of year-over-year growth in Prime among P2+. With top series that explore unique American cultures and ways of life – including Mountain Monsters, A Haunting, Hillbilly Blood, Buying the Bayou, Buying Alaska, Ghost Asylumand BBQ Pitmasters – Destination America’s programming spans the nation from Alaska, Hawaii and Colorado to Louisiana, West Virginia and communities in between. To find Destination America, the new home of TNA’s IMPACT WRESTLING, go to destinationamerica.com/watchda.

 

TNA is a privately held sports entertainment company based in Nashville, Tenn., specializing in TV properties, events, merchandise, music, and the management and promotion of professional wrestlers. TNA annually delivers more than 500 hours of original content to millions of fans around the world.

 

 

[Memphis Mark]

Reading the reports I am assuming that TNA will become mainly a TV production company . Te touring and PPV events will cease , so the talent will be back on the indies ?

[sek69]

Other than UK tours I believe they will be TV only. I would hope talent would be allowed to do indy dates, I can't imagine they're going to be making more from TNA when the company is bringing in less money.

[fakeplastictrees]

I am sure the company will allow its contractors to work indies- however the silly TNA terms will still be in play. Guys/Gals have mentioned in the past that TNA would take so much money out that workers don't see any benefit is working the shows and the promoters have to deal with TNA charging extra and being a pain. I find it interesting that both TNA and ROH main TV headquarters are in MD and only about 30-40 minutes from each other. TNA being a studio company that only tours for the big shows (Lockdown, Slammiversary, and BFG) and the UK shows is smart. TNA is going to spend 3 days in Jan filming in NY and that will produce 3-6 episodes of Impact. If TNA is smart they will only really need to do 3 actual shows a month from one location and get close to 2 months worth of programming out of it. This would mean that TNA would only have to do about 20 shows a year or so and will have an entire 52 weeks worth of programming.

[bradhindsight]

I saw Bix seem to hint at this on twitter but what other programming are they providing outside the TV show? Will they be producing taped specials to run on certain dates (lockdown, bfg)? Are they out of the PPV market completely now?

[Matt D]

It'd probably be more along the line of reality shows based on the wrestlers, no? That's the impression I got from the press.

[bradhindsight]

^ Makes sense, especially with Eric Young already on a show that is part of the same family of networks.

[Coffey]

I get Destination America on Time Warner, living in the midwest. I never really watch TNA though. I've heard they're going to try to rebrand the company & give them a new, fresh look & whatnot, so I guess I might check out the first show when it airs to see if anything has changed. I definitely have my doubts - TNA has went through dozens of rebrandings and resets already over the years anyway. I feel they're rotten at the core but who knows.

 

I assume they took this deal cause it was the only option they had other than having zero TV. TNA has been lukewarm, at best, for years is it is so I can't really see this being a productive thing but who knows, maybe we'll be surprised.

[fxnj]

I'm hoping talent will at least have more leverage on the indy thing now that they've seen guys become way more successful by quitting the promotion and touring the indies. The exposure won't really even work anymore since regardless of how the quoted story tries to spin it, this is clearly a big step down from Spike. At least that's what I hope, since I see no way to live off TNA's wages at 20 appearances a year.

[MikeCampbell]

 

 

This would mean that TNA would only have to do about 20 shows a year or so and will have an entire 52 weeks worth of programming.

And the boys get royally screwed, unless, like FPT said, TNA eases up on them working indies and doesn't take huge cuts of their payoff.

[artDDP]

I'm hoping talent will at least have more leverage on the indy thing now that they've seen guys become way more successful by quitting the promotion and touring the indies.

TNA will likely react by trying to lock talent down to even more prohibitive "exclusive" contracts.

[goc]

I just read that as part of the move to Destination America they are trying to shake up the presentation of the show, and a part of that is replacing Mike Tenay with Josh Matthews. I'm not that big of a fan of Matthews, I actually think Todd Grisham is the guy WWE dropped the ball on, but I will actually give TNA another chance if they are going to address their AWFUL presentation issues.

[cm funk]

Tenay is such a shell of himself and so synonymous with the awful TNA product that that would be a hugely positive move. Matthews was good at times in WWE and would be a breath of fresh air. Dump Taz too, but he might be under some written contract that they can't get out from under yet

[flyonthewall2983]

Hopefully they could relegate Taz to backstage interviews or something.