Backstage Update – TNA Negotiations With POP TV & WGN America

Here are some additional detailed updates about TNA’s ongoing TV negotiations for iMPACT! Wrestling. Dixie Carter revealed on Instagram that she was flying to Los Angeles on Wednesday morning.

It was always believed that Carter mentioning Spike TV on Instagram was just to distract from TNA’s other TV deals in the works. Several SpikeTV sources said at the time that that it’s “highly unlikely” that TNA will return to the network. Spike TV has thought about having wrestling programming again occasionally but not as a weekly series and never with TNA.

The two networks that keep coming up are WGN America and POP TV (formerly TV Guide Channel). TNA and WGN were in negotiations before TNA signed with Destination America. WGN was a top contender but they wanted TNA to wait until Spring 2015 to return and TNA wasn’t comfortable with the idea.

POP TV currently airs Las Vegas promotion Paragon Pro Wrestling in an early weekend time. One source claimed that TNA would pay for the timeslot on POP TV and then try to get their money back by selling advertisers to the show, similar to what WWE did with SmackDown on UPN. POP TV is based on Los Angeles, the same as UTA, who represents TNA for TV discussions.

It doesn’t matter which network picks up TNA as they both have a higher viewership than Destination America. They are usually included on a basic cable tier, instead of a second, subscription-only tier like DA. TNA will leave DA in early 2016. Some within the company say getting a new domestic deal is a priority but the renewals of several international deals (including the UK and India) will put TNA in a better position heading into the new year. Some in TNA believe that the international deals could help them deal with loss of a domestic TV home and keep the company from dying.

Of course, TNA wound up signing with POP TV so none of this matters now.

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