Partial Source: The Wrestling Observer Newsletter
UPDATE x 3: We reported earlier that Dixie
Carter told TNA talent recently that she expects the company to have a new TV
deal in place to begin January 7th, the first Wednesday after the current Spike
TV deal ends. However, many backstage in TNA continue to view TNA’s future as
filled with uncertainty.
While it looks like TNA will continue to operate next year, it
remains to be seen if it will operate at its current level, or more like a
top-level indy company. TNA’s new TV deal is likely to dramatically alter their
budget (Spike TV was helping TNA pay for many top name talent over the past few
years).
Current top talent including Kurt Angle, Bully Ray, Samoa Joe,
Austin Aries, and Gail Kim have their TNA deals either about to expire or
already expired, and have either not been offered a new deal or have been
offered minimal, short-term deals. This is being viewed as a sign that TNA may
not have the budget to sign bigger names to long-term, more lucrative deals,
even if/when they do finalize their new TV deal.
UPDATE x 2: As we reported yesterday here on the website,
TNA President Dixie Carter reportedly held a meeting with TNA talent backstage
at the iMPACTT! Wrestling television tapings in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania,
informing them that the company will be announcing a new television deal that
will see the company air a show on January 7th, which would be the first
Wednesday after their deal with Spike TV expires.
According to television industry sources, TNA has likely not signed an
official deal with anyone as of yet, however they are allegedly in “serious
talks” to do so at this point. The belief is that TNA will actually sign an
official deal and one that will see the company remain on television on
Wednesday nights.
If everything goes as planned, TNA will be holding a live television taping
from the Manhattan Center in New York City, New York on January 7th.
As far as which network TNA will move to once their deal with Spike TV
expires, as noted in the past, WGN America and Velocity are two names that are
being discussed, along with an additional option that is not an actual cable
station.
In addition to those three options, the fourth is believed to be CMT. Eric
Bischoff and Jason Hervey of “Bischoff-Hervey Entertainment,” who has worked
with TNA closely in the past, teased something with WGN on Wednesday via social
media.
UPDATE: Dixie Carter addressed the TNA talent
during the last set of TV tapings in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The wrestlers were
reportedly told that TNA will have a new TV home in January. The company will
run iMPACT! on Spike TV through the rest of 2014.
While not confirmed, the feeling at this time is that the TV deal
could be announced this week. The company may opt to hold off and announce the
deal closer to the Bound for Glory PPV. The network floating around as the
company’s destination seems to be WGN America. Carter was in Chicago back on
September 10th and some have speculated that she was negotiating with the
Tribune Media Company. The Tribune Media Company owns WGN America, and is based
out of Chicago.
ORIGINAL: It looks like TNA may announce a new
network sometime this week. According to a source with knowledge of the
situation, the company may make the announcement of a new deal by the end of the
week. The company has been in talks with four networks at this point, and Spike
TV is not said to be one of them.
It’s important to note that all of this is unconfirmed obviously
and we won’t know for sure until the announcement, but all indications seem to
suggest an announcement coming soon. Previous reports had the company in
discussions with the Velocity Network and WGN America.
