WWE & TNA Wrestling announce multi-year partnership

WWE part of TKO Group Holdings and TNA Wrestling, one of the world’s top wrestling brands and a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment, today announced a multi-year partnership aimed at creating unprecedented crossover opportunities within WWE and TNA programming for NXT Superstars and TNA Wrestling Stars.

The agreement will enable talent to garner additional exposure across key WWE and TNA programming, including weekly flagship shows such as NXT – which airs live on The CW – and TNA iMPACT!, select WWE Premium Live Events and TNA pay-per-views, in turn bolstering their in-ring development with exposure to world-class talent and coaching.

“This historic relationship demonstrates that collaboration and competition do not have to be mutually exclusive,” said Ariel Shnerer, Senior Vice President of Content & Distribution for TNA Wrestling and Anthem Sports & Entertainment. “Our partnership allows the TNA Wrestling brand and its incredible athletes to reach a significantly wider audience, while giving WWE and NXT stars an opportunity to cross the line and gain valuable experience, as they join forces with one of the most talented rosters in professional wrestling today. The response to our collaboration over the past year has been tremendous and both companies have benefited, but the fans have reaped the greatest rewards from this talent crossover and working relationship.”

“We look forward to growing and evolving our partnership with TNA Wrestling and its outstanding group of athletes by creating new opportunities to further the development of our talent and to elevate the viewer experience at home,” said WWE Senior Vice President of Talent Development Creative Shawn Michaels.

Former TNA Knockouts World Champion Jordynne Grace and Joe Hendry frequently appeared on NXT programming in 2024, highlighted by an NXT Championship match featuring Hendry and Ethan Page at No Mercy, and an NXT Women’s Championship match featuring Grace and Roxanne Perez at Battleground.

Many NXT Superstars also crossed the line into TNA Wrestling, including Wes Lee’s short-lived reunion with The Rascalz, Charlie Dempsey and the No Quarter Catch Crew, Riley Osbourne, Dante Chen, Gallus, Arianna Grace, Tatum Paxley, Izzi Dame, Wendy Choo, Brinley Reece and more.

TNA iMPACT! airs on AXS TV and TNA+ in the U.S., in addition to being distributed internationally on TNA+ and other leading broadcast platforms, including Sportsnet 360 across Canada.

In November 2023, WWE and The CW announced a five-year agreement to bring NXT to broadcast television for the first time in its 13-year history.

TV ratings an outdated way of measuring success in wrestling

On Friday, it was revealed that AEW Dynamite drew a record-low viewing. According to Programming Insider, the flagship show drew 502,000 viewers, the lowest-ever rating for a "non-preempted" show in Dynamite history.

Fightful Select reported that AEW isn't panicking. 

"Fightful Select spoke with AEW sources about their feelings on the number and how they rationalized it. We were told that the typical lead-in for AEW, Big Bang Theory, usually does a demo number of 200-250k for their final quarter-hour. This week's lead-in was Black Panther, which they said landed at under 85k in the demo for the final quarter-hour, a significant drop-off. They believe that the missing people were the lead in watchers that didn't exist this week."

Regardless of the reasoning, judging a wrestling show's success based on live television viewers is an antiquated mindset. AEW also airs via Triller TV. Millions of people worldwide consume the show via the streaming platform, either live or on demand. Those numbers aren't part of the rating data and thus show a skewed metric.

Of course, live television viewers within the United States are important when negotiating a new deal due to the money on offer. Tony Khan must show his programming can draw and retain viewers if he wants to increase revenue. 

Nevertheless, WWE's imminent move to Netflix shows how little single-country metrics matter. WWE's chief content officer, Paul Levesque, better known as "Triple H," understands that the move will open programming to a worldwide audience without additional cable packages.

Khan likely has similar views. He has previously discussed how well AEW does in Europe and other parts of the world. While that argument will have no value to his contract discussions with Warner Brothers Discovery, it is a sign of the changing media landscape. AEW could eventually join a streaming giant like Amazon Prime to escape the consistent battle for live-viewer ratings.

As viewers' consumption habits continue to change, wrestling fans, analysts and critics must follow suit. Live television isn't as ubiquitous as it once was. Streaming is now king. Half a million viewers, with a changed lead-in, is still a strong number. Factor in worldwide viewers, and AEW likely broke the 1 million mark.

It won't happen soon, but AEW must follow WWE's lead and sign with a streaming giant. They will only escape the constant criticism for a metric that tells less than half the full story. 

source: yardbarker.com

TNA Wrestling has partnered with Endeavor Streaming to deliver its global, on-demand streaming service, TNA+

TNA Wrestling (formerly IMPACT Wrestling)—a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment and a division of Anthem Sports Group—has partnered with Endeavor Streaming to deliver its global, on-demand streaming service, TNA+, to its passionate fans, launching Friday, January 5.

 As part of a multi-year deal, Endeavor Streaming will power the new TNA+ app to deliver an enhanced user experience to all fans across the top streaming platforms, as well as mobile and connected devices. 

This partnership combines TNA’s expertise as a top professional wrestling promoter with Endeavor Streaming’s unparalleled knowledge in delivering innovative direct-to-consumer offerings, marketing tools, analytics, and predictive modeling. TNA+ will leverage Endeavor’s experience working with the world’s biggest sports organizations to scale TNA+’s business operations and further grow its fan base and digital revenues.

In addition to reclaiming the iconic TNA moniker, the TNA+ app is relaunching with an all-new dynamic look, as well as expanded options and increased functionality. The app puts the power back in the fans’ hands, delivering the ultimate premium experience where they can stream the company’s flagship weekly TV show and tune into exciting pay-per-view events, view TNA’s full archive, get exclusive original content and wrestler-created series, and even have the chance to interact with some of TNA’s top stars.TNA+ will be available at TNAWrestling.com, via iOS, tvOS and Android mobile apps, as well as big screen devices such as Android TV, Fire TV and Roku, with more platforms to follow. Subscribers will have the choice of a “Special Attraction” membership tier that features access to the full TNA/IMPACT Wrestling library and all TNA+ special PPV programming other than the 4-tent pole annual events offered at a price of $9.99 monthly or $95.99 per year, and a “World Championship” membership tier that includes all the perks of the Special Attraction tier, plus the 4-tent pole PPV events, offered at a price of $219.99 per year. Further details and subscription information for the new service can be found at TNAwrestling.com.

“This is truly an incredible opportunity for us as we forge into an exciting new chapter of the TNA legacy,” said TNA Wrestling President Scott D’Amore. “We are proud to partner with Endeavor Streaming on this initiative, and we look forward to continuing to provide our fans with the absolute best in new, classic and exclusive professional wrestling content, available to them anywhere, anytime, on their favorite devices, when TNA+ launches on January 5.” Pete Bellamy, Chief Commercial Officer at Endeavor Streaming said, “Wrestling fans are some of the most passionate in the world of sports and entertainment and TNA+ is the perfect ‘always-on’ personalized OTT service to help TNA build a deeper relationship with its global audience. We’re looking forward to working with TNA to deliver the best streaming experience for wrestling fans.”

Further details and subscription information for the new service can be found at TNAwrestling.com.

IMPACT Will Rebrand As TNA Wrestling In Jan 2024

TORONTO | CHICAGO – October 21, 2023 – Anthem Sports & Entertainment, a global, multi-platform media company, announced today that its professional wrestling company, IMPACT Wrestling, is returning to its iconic Total Nonstop Action (TNA) Wrestling name, at “Hard To Kill,” its first pay-per-view event of 2024, which will originate for the first time ever from the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada.

TNA will launch 2024 with Hard To Kill on Saturday, January 13, with a second night of action-packed professional wrestling – the “Snake Eyes Extravaganza Show” – at The Palms on Sunday, January 14. The Snake Eyes Extravaganza Show will be taped to air on the company’s flagship weekly TV show, Impact!, airing every Thursday night on AXS TV (8 p.m. EST).

“We still hear the ‘TNA’ chants wherever we go,” said IMPACT Wrestling President Scott D’Amore. “Fans have longed for TNA Wrestling, so that’s what we’re bringing back in 2024: TNA Wrestling, we’re back!”

Rumor Mill - More Details From The WWE And Impact Wrestling Meeting Last Week

Last week it was revealed that WWE and Impact Wrestling had a meeting at WWE headquarters in Connecticut. While details on what was discussed were practically non-existant last week (except that it wasn’t regarding a possible sale), we now have a few additional details thanks to a report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (subscription required). First off, while several notable names weren’t present (such as Don Callis and WWE President Vince McMahon), it’s been confirmed that Paul Levesque met with Impact’s Ed Nordholm and Scott D’Amore.

It turns out that WWE reached out and requested the meeting, rather than vice-versa, which is what some outlets originally reported. What exactly went on during the meeting remains a mystery, but people from both sides have said that the two companies are no longer enemies as they were in the past. That leaves the door open for future collaborations, be them in-ring or licensing opportunities.

Rumor Mill - WWE Officials Meet With Impact Officials At WWE HQ

Several high-ranking WWE officials met with Impact Wrestling officials at WWE HQ in Stamford, CT last week, according to PWInsider.

Impact was represented by Scott D'Amore and Ed Nordholm. Vince McMahon was not at the meeting but members of Triple H's team were there. The meeting took place during the middle of last week as Impact officials were returning from UK, headed to Mexico City for TV tapings.

A WWE source described the meeting to PWInsider as a general discussion about the two companies and a chance to get everyone in the same room, not a specific negotiation of any kind. It's no secret that WWE has worked with Impact since Anthem purchased them, paying to license footage on WWE Champion AJ Styles and The Hardys' Broken Universe storyline. An Impact source stressed that the meeting had nothing to do with the sale of Impact as a company or its video library as neither are for sale.

Dave Lagana Praises Vince Mcmahon; Talks Time In TNA Being "Water Torture"

Dave Lagana recently appeared on The Taz Show and spoke on his experiences working with Vince McMahon in WWE and his time in Impact Wrestling. Below are interview highlights 

Transcript courtesy of Michael McClead and Wrestlezone.com

Working Under Vince McMahon:

“I have nothing bad to say about him [Vince McMahon]. He took the company from three billion to nine billion dollars in one year. He’s pretty good, so for everyone that hates him for the Roman Reigns booking, show me what you’ve tripled in one year with your business. I learned more from him than anybody.”

Education Received From Vince McMahon:

“It was like a master class…I would have paid to have worked there at that time. I paid $100,000 to go to college and I didn’t get 1/100th of the education I got working for him. I read a lot of people say a lot of negative stuff about him, like he’s out of touch. Ok, show me your business. Show me what you’ve built. He’s insane; but, everybody’s insane…He’s been fighting a world that has told him he couldn’t do it and I think the end of this story – by the way I have no insider information – is him selling the company to a giant media conglomerate for $10 billion. I think that’s the end of the story.”

Impact Wrestling:

“It was bad there. It was real bad. Every year you think it couldn’t get any worse. Oh, we lost Spike. Oh, we lost DA [Destination America]. Samoa Joe just showed up at NXT. They found new ways to water torture us working there.”

The Reason Why Impact Wrestling Owners Anthem Threatened Hardys With Legal Action

Further details have emerged as to why Impact Wrestling owners Anthem sent cease and desist orders to the Hardys, Ring of Honor and PPV distributors over Matt and Jeff appearing as their “broken” characters.

As reported by PWInsider, a source claims that Hardy filing the trademark for the "Broken Matt Hardy" name was the trigger as they believe Hardy wasn't the only person to create the character with names such as Dave Lagana, Matt Conway and Billy Corgan all being mentioned as key figures in having come up with the concept, therefore Anthem believe others deserve revenue from the character.

They want to pressure Hardy into signing a deal that gives Anthem a percentage of profits made from the gimmick.

ROH was forced to pull their recent PPV from DISH Network and the Hardys toned down their act for the PPV itself. According to Reby Hardy, The Hardys have full ownership of the gimmick.

Powell’s Blog: “F— TNA”

Impact Wrestling Threatening To Sue Cable Providers Who Air The Hardy's

Reby Sky has claimed on her personal Twitter that Impact Wrestling are issuing letters to cable providers threating to sue them if they show the Hardy's in ROH.

UPDATE: TNA sending "spooky" letters to cable providers threatening to sue if they air Hardys. Trying to screw ROH & ruin wrestling for fans

— Reby Hardy (@RebyHardy) March 11, 2017

Anthem Sports CEO On Why They Bought Impact Wrestling, If They Would Work With Billy Corgan

The Financial Post has a story on Anthem Sports & Entertainment Corp. CEO Leonard Asper, who discussed the company purchasing Impact Wrestling. During the interview, Asper noted that he was a wrestling fan when he was younger and would mimic AWA matches with his brother, David. Below are a couple of highlights:

Why they bought TNA:

"I like sports. But I'm not doing this because I'm a wrestling fanatic. It's a business decision. We want to own content as a company."

Possibly working with Billy Corgan:

"He was going to do some other things in the wrestling world. We said when we get all of this blocking and tackling done, we'll reconvene and see what we'll do together."

You can read the full article by clicking here.

The Hardys Not Re-Signing with TNA, Backstage Details on Matt & Jeff Feeling “Disrespected” By TNA Officials, Their TV Future

According to Pro Wrestling Sheet, Matt and Jeff Hardy will NOT be signing new deals with Impact Wrestling, and it’s reportedly because the brothers felt disrespected during contract talks.

Sources are reporting The Hardys agreed to terms on a new TNA deal back in December, but requested a few minor changes, and were simply waiting for the finalized offer.

The deal was supposed to be for 1-year, but weeks and weeks passed, with Matt constantly checking in, but they were consistently given the run around.

Eventually Matt and Jeff’s lawyer informed Impact Wrestling officials that they wanted a creative control clause written into their new deals, but that was shot down immediately. One source claims the Hardy’s lawyer told Ed Nordholm of Anthem Sports & Entertainment there was interest from other companies and he responded by saying, “Well, tell them to go to WWE then.”

This set Jeff Hardy off, who at that point said he was no longer interested in re-signing. Matt continued talks, but when they sent a new contract last week it was now a 2-year deal and terms had been snuck in which stated they’d receive 10% of all his profits outside of Impact.

Matt’s lawyer said he’d be a fool to sign, so he informed the company he wasn’t interested in doing so, but would still come to the tapings to write off his characters. However, he was told he was crazy to think they’d want him on TV without a contact.

Impact Wrestling officials are reportedly trying to get their tag titles back.

Jeff Jarrett and Ed Nordholm Speak Candidly About Dixie Carter's Handling of TNA

Jeff Jarrett and new TNA Impact Wrestling President Ed Nordholm recently spoke to Newsweek.com about taking over the reigns of TNA. Jarrett and Nordholm had the following to say about Dixie's handling of TNA:

Jarrett: "It was a black-eye on the industry. It wasn’t fruitful for anyone—whether you’re a fan of, a wrestler, an employee. It was a really ugly, unfortunate situation. It wasn’t good for the industry."

Nordholm: "The buck has to stop someplace. The reality is the company got into a dire position and she was CEO. There was never any question [she wouldn’t be involved in the day-to-day operations], but not out of any particular animosity. If we’re going to invest...we’re owner-operators, we’re not passive investors. If we’re going to own it, we’re going to own it."

You can read the full article here.

TNA Announces Partnership With Japanese Wrestling Promotion

TNA today issued the following:

IMPACT & PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING NOAH PARTNERSHIP

As announced earlier today in Tokyo, Japan, IMPACT Wrestling and Pro Wrestling NOAH have come to terms on a working relationship. This is an exciting time for both companies with a more formal announcement coming soon.

In a Press Conference held earlier today, NOAH President Masayuki Uchida made the official announcement.

We look forward to making a formal announcement soon in Tokyo and seeing IMPACT Stars compete at NOAH's Yokohama event on March 12. We are thrilled to build this relationship even further with more details to come.

Stay close to impactWrestling.Com and all of our social media channels for more on this exciting partnership.

Jeff Jarrett Confirms He is Returning TNA, Reveals His New Role in the Company and Says It’s a “Great Opportunity for GFW”

Jeff Jarrett and his wife Karen Jarrett will be backstage with TNA at the TV tapings this week, and are returning to the company.

According to Pro Wrestling Sheet, Jarrett’s new role in TNA will be as an Executive Consultant. Jarrett is reportedly already at the Impact Zone and working on the show.

Dutch Mantell, fka Zeb Colter in WWE, is also returning to TNA as a creative consultant.

Jarrett returning to TNA will not affect his Global Force Wrestling promotion, and in a statement released to Pro Wrestling Sheet, Jarrett said his return to TNA “is a great opportunity for myself and GFW. And, I feel it’s great for the wrestling business.”

Anthem officially announces it has acquired control of TNA Impact Wrestling. Dixie Carter resigns as chairman

Anthem Sports & Entertainment have announced they've formed a new company that will be the parent company of TNA Wrestling. The company, called Anthem Wrestling Exhibitions will be overseen by Ed Nordholm as President.

Dixie Carter has resigned as Chairman of Impact Ventures, the former parent company of TNA. She will remain with Anthem in an advisory role and a minority equity shareholder.

Below is the official press statement:

Anthem Sports & Entertainment Forms Anthem Wrestling Exhibitions, LLC., Acquires Control of IMPACT Wrestling

Toronto, Canada (January 4, 2017) - Anthem Sports & Entertainment Corp. today announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire a majority interest in TNA IMPACT Wrestling, and has formed Anthem Wrestling Exhibitions, LLC. Anthem also owns Fight Network, the world’s premier 24/7 multi-platform channel dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports, which is IMPACT Wrestling’s exclusive broadcast partner in Canada and worldwide digital partner.

“We are thrilled to have acquired TNA IMPACT Wrestling,” said Ed Nordholm, Executive Vice President of Anthem Sports & Entertainment Corp., the parent of Fight Network. “As we grow Anthem’s linear, digital and mobile platforms globally, top tier content with global appeal is key to that success and this acquisition is a perfect strategic addition to our portfolio. IMPACT has been a dominant wrestling brand around the world for more than a decade and we are confident that Anthem can leverage its assets and strategic partnerships to take IMPACT Wrestling to even greater heights.”

Mr. Nordholm, who has been the managing director of the IMPACT Ventures Board of Managers since October 2016, will assume the position of President of Anthem Wrestling Exhibitions, LLC. Dixie Carter will resign from her position as Chairman of Impact Ventures and join the Advisory Board of Fight Media Group, which holds all of the combat sports-related assets of Anthem, where her focus will be on the global growth of the combat sports-related brands owned by Anthem.

“Anthem has been a great partner for many years,” added Dixie Carter. “We have worked hard to find the right company who would acquire TNA, use its strategic influence and have a long-term commitment to the brand. TNA’s incredible fans, talent and staff deserved to see the brand continue to thrive after 15+ years of incredible growth. I’m excited to move to a new position and work with Anthem on their global strategic plan, and I am confident TNA IMPACT Wrestling is going to be a huge part of their success.”

Ms. Carter will remain a minority equity stakeholder.

Billy Corgan On Dixie Carter, Being Lied To About WWE, TNA Settlement, Future Litigation

Former TNA President and Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan spoke with PWInsider.com's Mike Johnson following his recent settlement with TNA and Anthem Media & Entertainment. While Corgan is happy with the deal and believes Anthem is in the best position to take over TNA, he has not waived his right to pursue legal action against certain individuals involved in the matter. Corgan called being portrayed as a 'predatory lender' by TNA's legal team "laughable". Also, Corgan discussed being lied to about negotiations with WWE, and whether Dixie Carter is dumb.

Although Corgan said he is "very happy" with the settlement and he admitted that he feels Anthem is the best to take over TNA, he is not releasing all claims against "certain people".

"In making this deal with Anthem, and I'm very happy with the deal, and I do sincerely wish them the best. I think they are the best people that have taken over the company, given the circumstances as they've played out and from what I know now. With that said, in the deal that I made to make this finally resolve and as [Johnson] said in the beginning of this and I've seen other headlines, I did not release all claims involved in this matter. And I specifically put in the paperwork that there were certain people I was in business with within the company that I still have the ability to go after directly."

More?

Billy Corgan and TNA Settle Their Legal Dispute

Billy Corgan just announced on Twitter that he has settled his legal issues with TNA, so it appears as if the issue of Corgan being owed loan money has been resolved.

"Just signed my settlement with TNA/ANTHEM. And to fill in the blanks I'll do a few interviews next week to spell out what is/isn't in it."

Dixie Carter Holds Call With TNA Roster, Talks Creative Changes, New Anthem Agreement, More

Dixie Carter held a conference call today with the TNA roster and other employees, according to PWInsider. The call was described as a "rah rah" call with Dixie saying lots of things within the company had changed since the locker room meeting in Orlando on October 3rd.

Dixie officially introduced Anthem Sports & Entertainment's Eric Nordholm as a member of the Board of Managers and said the Board will be guiding TNA going forward. Dixie praised TNA's new relationship with Anthem and said they have injected capital & resources into the company that will bring it to the next level.

Nordholm also addressed the roster and praised them for their hard work. He also said the new agreement will be a great opportunity for both The Fight Network and TNA.

It was noted that TNA is looking at getting back to running live events and strengthening their relationship with their Indian TV partner, Sony Six. The idea of an over-the-top streaming network featuring TNA content was also mentioned.

Regarding TNA creative changes, Dixie confirmed that Billy Corgan is no longer with the company and that David Lagana resigned last week. Dixie said going forward, they will be going back to a collaborative effort with John Gaburick, Matt Conway and Madison Rayne but they are looking to hire more writers to work creative.

Senior Director of Creative Writing Dave Lagana Leaves TNA

Dave Lagana, Senior Director of Creative Writing for TNA has issued the following statement, noting he has resigned from TNA:

“You’re always one decision away from a totally different life.”

— Mark Batterson

Five years ago I made the decision to join the TNA Impact Wrestling family. Over this time, I’ve experienced a lot in my life personally and professionally. Being a fan of professional wrestling for thirty years, I look back amazed at moments I’ve been a part of. Over my fifteen years of writing, producing and directing, I’ve been very lucky to work with every major talent in the history of the sport and learn from its brightest minds; Vince McMahon, Paul Heyman, Dusty Rhodes, Pat Patterson, Gerry Brisco, Shawn Michaels, Paul Levesque, Michael Hayes, Brian Gewirtz, Adam Pearce, Hunter Johnson, Matt Conway, Billy Corgan, Vince Russo, Eric Bischoff, Bruce Prichard, Jeff Jarrett, and Dutch Mantel. This group of professionals taught me many lessons and and helped shape my career. Lessons like passion can carry us through pain, disappointment and regret. Hard work, dedication and commitment to a craft can define a person’s journey and decisions.

Today I made the decision to leave TNA Impact Wrestling. A decision I do not make lightly but one I made to create a future that I control. In 2017, you need to look forward to 2020 and beyond. My focus now is on personal branding, technology and the wild west of storytelling available to all content creators today.

I want to thank everyone at TNA Impact Wrestling for giving me the opportunity to be the Senior Director of Creative Writing. Also I’d like to thank the talented and underappreciated television production crew and locker room. Getting to be collaborative with this group of men and women at every taping was an honor and a privilege. This is a creative business where stars are made one decision at a time. Believe and trust the process; success will follow.

I look forward to the future that we all create and that all starts right now.

See you down the road…

David Lagana