TNA Wrestling, a division of Anthem Sports & Entertainment formerly known as Impact Wrestling, said it is tag teaming with Endeavor Streaming  to come over the top rope with TNA Plus, a global on-demand streaming service, on January 5.

TNA Plus replaces Impact Plus and takes advantage of Endeavor’s technology to deliver an innovative direct-to-consumer offering with an enhanced user experience, marketing tools, analytics and predictive marketing, the companies say.

TNA Plus is available on connected TV platforms Android TV, Fire TV and Roku, with more to follow, the company said. It can also be seen on iOS, tvOS and Android mobile apps.

Subscribers will have the choice of a Special Attraction membership tier that features access to the full TNA/Impact Wrestling library and all TNA Plus special PPV programming other than the four tent pole annual events for $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 four tent pole PPV events, offered at a price of $219.99 per year. 

Anthem announced in October that it would be changing Impact Wrestling’s name back to TNA (Total Nonstop Action). Anthem acquired TNA in 2017.

“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 Plus launches on January 5.”

With TNA Plus, Fans will be able to stream TNA Wrestling’s flagship weekly show (which appears on Anthem’s AXS TV network in the U.S.). The app will also enable users to interact with TNA wrestlers.

“Wrestling fans are some of the most passionate in the world of sports and entertainment and TNA Plus is the perfect 'always-on' personalized OTT service to help TNA build a deeper relationship with its global audience,” said Pete Bellamy, chief commercial officer at Endeavor Streaming. “We’re looking forward to working with TNA to deliver the best streaming experience for wrestling fans.”

Endeavor Streaming also works with the NBA, UFC, WWE and NWSL.

Impact Plus was powered by Brightcove.

DAZN also has been carrying Impact Wrestling content in certain international territories. DAZN will be offering Impact’s annual Hard to Kill event on its pay-per-view platform. 

AXS TV’s weekly pro wrestling series Impact! this Thursday (September 14) will reach a television milestone with its 1,000th episode.

The series, which launched initially on Fox Sports Net in 2004 and aired on several cable networks before moving to AXS TV in 2019, is the signature series for the Anthem Sports & Entertainment-owned Impact Wrestling organization. Formerly known as Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, Impact Wrestling content can be seen domestically on several platforms, including Anthem-owned AXS TV, FAST channel offerings on Pluto TV, Xumo, Samsung TV Plus, Roku and Sling, as well as via pay-per-view. 

Impact Wrestling president Scott D'Amore said the long-running linear cable series, along with the company's efforts to reach its core fans across numerous platforms, has helped Impact! remain viable to viewers over the years.

“Our linear footprint will always be an important part of the game plan, but I think digital is the future, and you’re going to see us continue to expand,” D’Amore said. "I think the ability to be very flexible in how the content gets out there and how you consume it has been a key part in staying out there and expanding the fan base of wrestling at a time when a lot of fan bases are seeing contraction." 

Click below to listen to an interview with D’Amore on the latest episode of the “TV Sportsplay” podcast. 

Looking to add punch to its combat sports business, Anthem Sports & Entertainment has named boxing veteran Richard Schaefer as president of its new Anthem Sports Group.

As part of a reorganization, Schaefer will oversee Anthem’s Impact Wrestling, its female mixed martial arts brand Invicta Fighting Championships and its Fight Network sports channel. 

“We believe in the combat sports,” Anthem CEO Leonard Asper told Broadcasting+Cable. “Despite the existence of the WWEs and the UFCs of the world, there’s a wide-open ability to be more prominent and build a bigger business within the combat sports arena.”

With Fight Network and AXS TV, Anthem is vertically integrated and able to distribute and promote its own events and programming. It has been adding an expanding set of digital and streaming free, ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channels to make its programming more available, especially to younger viewers. “Will we end up having a boxing vertical of content that will be streamed globally? Yes,” Asper said.

Anthem also sells its content to other distributors. “It just goes wherever it makes money,” he said.

AXS is contractually obligated to have sports programming. Since it has become a destination for combat sports, “getting into boxing is a big part of rounding out the trifecta.”

Schaefer, who has worked with boxer Floyd Mayweather and MMA champion Jon Jones and served as CEO of boxer Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions, said there’s still life in the boxing business.

“At the very highest level, boxing still delivers ratings and the cost is relatively low, " Schaefer said.

Boxing’s Big Draw

He pointed to the recent Jake Paul fight against Tommy Fury. “I heard that it did about 750,000 homes here in the U.S. and 500,000 homes in the U.K,” he said. “You’re talking about an event which generated just in pay-per-view revenues north of $70 million. There are not too many sports that generate $100 million in one night.”

As a purist boxing fan, that match might not have been the best, but fights like that bring in younger viewers, he said. “The business is going to benefit from that event,” he said.

Schaefer expects to put together boxing cards that would be televised weekly, rather than a series of one-off fights. A regularly scheduled series is more attractive to advertisers, he said.

He also envisions other boxing programs, including a series that would be a combination of the UFC’s Contender Series and America’s Got Talent with a group of young, talented amateur boxers telling their stories and the audience and a celebrity panel of judges picking one to win an Anthem boxing contract.

Asper endorsed the idea. “I’m excited about it, because we have the distribution platform as well,” he said. “We can sign young fighters, we can give them the exposure, we can put on weekly shows, we have the distribution in-house and there is not one promoter in the world who has that capability. Right there, that sets us apart from the rest.”

He noted that few non-pay TV channels provide viewers with as much access to combat sports as AXS. “So that’s part of our strategy,” Asper said.

Anthem is making some organizational changes with Schaefer coming aboard. Scott D’Amore was promoted to president of Impact Wrestling. He and Shannon Knapp, president of Invicta, will report to Schaefer.

The company named Lou D’Angeli as VP of marketing for Anthem Sports Group. He had previously held a similar position at Cirque Du Soleil. Before that, he was with WWE.

Anthem also retained Mike Pine & Talon Partnerships as strategic advisers focused on securing sponsorships and new revenue for Impact Wrestling and Invicta FC. While Pine & Talon’s initial emphasis will be placed on the sports group properties, it will also aim to generate revenue for Anthem’s entertainment content as well.

Reorganizing the company’s sports group and moving up a weight class with more combat sports was part of a broader strategy to have more current and fresh programming on its channels, led by AXS, Asper said.

In addition to sports, AXS features programming for people interested in music. Last year, the network launched Parking Lot Payday, a pop-up game show in the parking lots of concerts. People who answer trivia questions win cash or access to the band.

“When you think of linear channels, the ones that will stick around are the ones that have sports and the ones that have an immediate connection with the audience,” Asper said. “That’s part of our overall AXS strategy that we’re engaged in right now.” ■

Anthem Sports & Entertainment said it signed an international distribution agreement with Dazn that will stream Anthem’s Impact Wrestling in more than 170 countries beginning on the Dazn platform  November 29.

The agreement includes Impact Wrestling’s weekly Impact! series, pay-per-view events, live specials and select titles from Ipact’s archives. 

“Dazn is a global leader in premier sports programming, and we are proud to partner with them as we expand Impact Wrestling’s international reach even further,” said Scott D’Amore, executive VP, Anthem Sports Media Group. “From the beginning, Impact Wrestling has enjoyed a worldwide audience of passionate and knowledgeable fans who crave high-quality professional wrestling content.  With this announcement, we hope to make it even more convenient for them to enjoy our flagship series, premium specials and pay-per-view events, while also introducing the Impact Wrestling brand to even more sports enthusiasts across the globe.”

Impact Wrestling programming is televised globally in 120 countries including on Anthem properties AXS TV in the U.S.  and Fight Network in Canada, as well as the Commonwealth Of Independent States, Latin America, Mexico, the United Kingdom, India and its subcontinent, and Africa. ■

Anthem Sports & Entertainment said it reached a deal putting its Fight Network and Impact Wrestling on YouTube TV as part of the streaming TV service‘s Sports Plus add-on package.

The Sports Plus package costs $10.99 a month.

“Fight Network and Impact Wrestling have built a strong legacy delivering quality sports-based content to audiences around the world, and we are proud to join forces with YouTube TV’s Sports Plus package to reach even more viewers through this landmark deal,” said Jaime Pollack, chief revenue officer, sports group at Anthem. “YouTube TV is leading the way in the streaming landscape, and we are excited to join their lineup as we continue delivering the exclusive high-quality combat sports and professional wrestling programming that Fight Network and Impact Wrestling are known for.”

Fight Network offers combat sports 24/7, with live and classic MMA and boxing events from around the world. The network also offers original programs such as Retrospective, In 60, Diary and After the Fight.

Impact Wrestling offers a vast library of more than 4,000 hours of new and classic grappling content. Viewers can watch the current roster of athletes — including champions Moose, Mickie James, Trey Miguel, The Good Brothers, The Inspiration and Matt Cardona — in the rings, or watch icons of pro wrestling such as Ric Flair, Kurt Angle, Kevin Nash or AJ Styles.

Other channels in YouTube’s Sports Plus package include BeIN Sports, Billiard TV, Fox Soccer Plus, Gol TV, MavTV Motorsports Network, NFL Redzone, Outside TV Plus, Poker Go Plus, Stadium, TVG and VSiN. ■ 

Impact Wrestling is moving into Russia through a partnership with global sports network Extreme.

Extreme will be the official Russian-language home for Anthem Sports & Entertainment’s weekly series Impact!. Impact! will be available on broadcast television in Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States regularly for the first time beginning Oct. 15.

In addition four major Impact pay-per-view events, including Bound for Glory on Oct. 23, will be distributed to viewers.

Also Read: Impact Wrestling Tag Teams With Pluto TV to Expand in Europe

“For many years now, Impact enjoyed a large and passionate fanbase in Russia,” said Jaime Pollack, chief revenue officer of Anthem’s Sports Media Group. 

“We are proud to partner with Extreme to make them the official Russian-language home of IMPACT Wrestling, and we look forward to sharing Impact!’s unparalleled programming with even more viewers around the world,” Pollack said.

Last year, Anthem put Impact! and its Fight Network on the Rutube.list digital platform. Extreme becomes the exclusive home for Impact!.

Extreme offers extreme sports coverage around the world 24 hours a day seven days a week. It is available on satellite and cable platforms across Russia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and in the U.S.

“This partnership is a strong continuation of Extreme’s ongoing programming development strategy in Russia and the CIS,” said William Lee, CEO of Extreme Channel Limited. 

The CIS includes Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Ukraine.

“Impact’s signature brand of high-octane action is the perfect complement to our programming lineup, and we are confident that our audience will enjoy all the hard-hitting matches, gripping stories and larger-than-life personalities that only Impact! can provide,” Lee said.

Impact Wrestling is televised in 120 countries. It is on Anthem’s AXS TV in the United States. Impact content is also streamed on platforms including Pluto TV, Xumo, Samsung TV Plus and its own on-demand subscription service Impact Plus.

Anthem Sports & Entertainment said its Impact Wrestling is expanding across Europe with distribution via Pluto TV.

Impact Wrestling content is now available in the United Kingdom, Spain, Germany, Switzerland and Austria.

Pluto TV started carrying Impact Wrestling in the U.S. in April 2018. 

“Impact Wrestling is proud to continue our successful partnership with Pluto TV, bringing our exclusive content to even more viewers around the world,” said Jaime Pollack, chief revenue officer, Sports Media Group, which includes Impact Wrestling. “The global demand for quality professional wrestling programming has, arguably, never been higher, and we are excited for the opportunity to provide millions of pro wrestling fans both old and new with the ultimate ringside seats to all the epic matchups, original series, and in-depth retrospectives that Impact Wrestling is known for.”

Started in 2002, Impact programming appears in 120 countries. In the U.S. it’s carried by AXS-TV. 

Impact Wrestling is stepping into the ring with Samsung TV Plus, giving Samsung device users access to a new ad-supported channel and a library of video on demand content.

“This new partnership presents an invaluable opportunity for us to bring Impact Wrestling’s exclusive premium content to even more viewers across the country,” said Jaime Pollack, chief revenue officer for Impact parent’s Anthem Sports & Entertainment’s Sports Media Group. 

Also Read: Impact Wrestling Launches Streaming Channel on Xumo

“We are excited to share our deep, generation-spanning library with Samsung TV Plus’ audience—giving wrestling fans both old and new a chance to enjoy all of the larger-than-life personas, legendary matches, and gripping story-telling that IMPACT Wrestling is known for,” said Pollack.

Impact Wrestling’s library has two decades worth of content featuring icons Ric Flair, Sting, Kurt Angle, Kevin Nash and AJ Styles as well as current stars Rich Swann, The Good Brothers, Moose, Deonna Purrazzo, Sami Callihan, Eddie Edwards, Jordynne GRace, Eric Young and Chris Bey.

Impact Wrestling programming is carried on Anthem’s AXS TV in the U.S. and globally in 120 countries. 

Impact Wrestling, a unit of Anthem Sports & Entertainment, has made a deal with Comcast’s Xumo to launch an Impact Wrestling Channel on the Xumo streaming platform.

The channel will be available to Xumo’s 24 million unique users. 

“This landmark partnership with Xumo provides us with a unique opportunity to bring the Impact Wrestling Channel to nearly 50% of smart TVs in the United States,” said Jaime Pollack, chief revenue officer, Fight Media Group, which includes Impact Wrestling. “We look forward to sharing our expansive library of high-quality professional wrestling programming with Xumo’s users, giving them the ultimate viewing experience with iconic matches, engaging stories and exclusive original series.” 

Programming will include more than 1,000 hours of new and classic original content featuring current Impact World Champion Rich Swann and such iconic grapplers as Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair and Sting. 

“For almost two decades, Impact Wrestling has blazed a trail as one of the world’s most popular franchises of its kind,” said Stefan Van Engen, senior VP of partnerships and programming at Xumo. “Xumo is dedicated to providing our viewers with the absolute best in premium entertainment, making the Impact Wrestling Channel’s eclectic offerings the perfect complement to our growing lineup. We are excited to build on this strong partnership with Impact as we move into 2021.”

Impact programming is televised globally in 120 countries, including on AXS TV in the U.S. Impact content is also accessible via YouTube, Twitch, Pluto and social media platforms.

Anthem Sports & Entertainment said it made a deal with Russia’s largest digital platform--Rutube.list--to carry Fight Network and Impact Wrestling in the country starting Oct. 1.

Fight Network and Impact Wrestling join Rutube.List’s growing sports block. The channels will be launched as VOD offerings, presented in both English and Russian.

“Russia is a true powerhouse for combat sports, bringing the world some of the top fighters in the business and boasting an impressive base of passionate and knowledgeable fans,” said Jaime Pollack, chief revenue officer of Anthem’s Fight Media Group, who oversees all commercial operations for Fight Network and Impact Wrestling. “Anthem is proud to join forces with Rutube.List, bringing some of the best offerings from Fight Network and Impact Wrestling to 10 million viewers throughout Russia and the CIS. We are excited to be a part of their growing sports programming lineup, and look forward to working with them as we move into the future.”

Rutube.List provides programming to 10 million viewers throughout Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States.

“Various thematic content of the Fight Network channel will be available on Rutube.List, including a library of classic wrestling matches, collections of spectacular fights, analysis of the best and critical moments of combat events and comments from athletes and experts,” said Roman Maksimov, CEO of Rutube.List.

Fight Network offers combat sports coverage including live fights and original programs, including Retrospective, Diary, In 50 and After the Fight.

Impact Wrestling celebrates classic superstars like Hulk Hogan and Rick Flair, as well as current stars such as Eric Young, Ken Shamrock and Rohit Raju. Impact Wrestling is gearing up for its big Bound For Glory pay-per-view event on Oct. 24. The PPV event is available throughout Fite TV.

In addition to Russia and the CIS, Impact Wrestling is available is available in the United States, Latin America, Canada, India, the United Kingdom, Africa and Mexico. In the U.S, it can be watched on demand on Altice, Cox, Spectrum, Verizon Fios and Comcast Xfinity platforms.

AXS TV will look to build momentum for its Oct. 24 Impact Wrestling pay-per-view event with a series of specials and events.

The Bound For Glory PPV event will be supported by "Impact Week" featuring such specials as talk-themed show Talk'n Shop: Full Keg (premiering Oct. 20) and documentary This Is Bound For Glory (Oct. 24).

In addition, the network will offer an one-hour pre-show, Live Countdown to Glory, prior to its Oct. 24 event.   

“Impact Week on AXS TV demonstrates the strength of the individual Anthem brands coming together organically under our Anthem Sports & Entertainment banner,” said AXS TV General Manager Frank Tanki in a prepared statement. “This first year of IMPACT! on AXS TV proved that Impact has some of the most passionate and loyal fans in the world, and we wanted to deliver to them in a big way as we continue to grow the IMPACT brand.  We worked across Anthem to create a week on AXS TV focused on providing the ultimate preview of this huge PPV event.  And in addition to serving Impact's fans, we are working to deliver to our affiliates and sponsors as well."

Following up on an earlier offer, Anthem Sports & Entertainment said it's provided a credit facility to fund the operations of TNA Impact Wrestling and that Anthem, which also owns equity in the wrestling outfit, will manage TNA's operations, including pay-per-view events and Impact Wrestling shows that air on Pop.

The move follows recent legal challenges between TNA (for Total Nonstop Action) parent Impact Ventures and Billy Corgan, who is the frontman of The Smashing Pumpkins and erstwhile backer and president of TNA. "Billy Corgan is no longer with the company," Anthem and Impact said in a release today. Corgan, though, said in a series of tweets that he had not been paid what TNA "swore to in front of a judge" and that he is exploring all legal remedies, including "converting to 36 pct. equity." Fight Network (which Anthem owns) replied on Twitter, in part, that "(t)here is a solid financial plan for @IMPACTWRESTLING & Mr. Corgan's loan will be dealt with appropriately." 

Anthem EVP Ed Nordholm will join the Impact Ventures board of managers, and the board will manage the company, Anthem said. Dixie Carter stays on as company chair and is on the board of managers.

“We have had a successful, long-term partnership with Fight Network as our Canadian broadcaster, and more recently as our global digital partner,” Carter said in a release. “Anthem’s team has extensive media experience, and I am excited to have that available to us as we plan for the future.” Anthem is the parent of Fight Network.

Anthem CEO Leonard Asper said in the release: “We have consistently maintained that investing in content as we grow our distribution is important as a strategic necessity, and working more closely with a strong brand like TNA is in line with that. This financing is an extension of the support we have been providing since the beginning of the year. There are tremendous opportunities to support the company’s growth on all platforms and in all media along side Dixie and the incredible talent and staff at TNA.”

Pop, owned by CBS and Lionsgate, airs Impact Wrestling on Thursday nights year round and has continued to do so through the recent offscreen turmoil involving Carter and Corgan. Pop president Brad Schwartz told Multichannel News in a statement, "Pop remains committed to Impact Wresting and its amazing team and athletes. The show continues to be one of Pop’s most watched original programs with continued quarter over quarter ratings growth. We look forward to what lies ahead.”

Anthem Sports & Entertainment said today (Oct. 19) it confirmed recently making a "working capital loan" to fund the operations of TNA Impact Wrestling, the financially troubled wrestling organization, and that it had offered to provide money to repay loans made to TNA by The Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan.

Corgan, a huge wrestling fan, was named president of Impact Ventures in August, overseeing day to day operations of TNA, as Rolling Stone reported. Since then, Corgan has sued the TNA organization and principals, including chairman Dixie Carter, according to several reports (including this one), and a hearing has reportedly been scheduled for tomorrow (Oct. 20) on Corgan's receipt of a restraining order and temporary injunction.

Toronto-based Anthem Sports & Entertainment said it licenses TNA programming for Fight Network in the United States, Canada and other international markets and has exclusive streaming rights of TNA shows for streaming Internet-delivered TV. TNA Impact Wrestling airs Thursday nights on Pop in a deal the network announced in November 2015. TNA programming previously aired on Destination America and Spike.

“TNA is a strong property for Fight Network and as a licensee and global distribution partner we have a keen interest in seeing the company not only survive but continue to grow and thrive, alongside our own growth,” Leonard Asper, CEO of Anthem, said in the statement. “We are hopeful that the company can soon get back to doing what it does best, which is to produce great wrestling content.”

Pop will become the new home for TNA Wrestling as the pro wrestling outfit reached a distribution deal with the former TV Guide Network (now owned by CBS and Lionsgate) for distribution of its weekly series Impact Wrestling.

The series will move from Destination America, which has carried the show since January. Pop will debut TNA’s signature series on Tuesday, Jan. 5, according to the network. The deal provides Impact with more exposure from POP’s 73 million viewers compared to Destination America’s 55 million viewers, according to Nielsen estimates.

“Wrestling has been a fan-fueled staple since the ‘50s, and continues to be some of the most-watched appointment television today. The die-hard fandom and extraordinary passion surrounding Impact Wrestling captures the spirit of Pop as a network that celebrates fan-driven entertainment and excitement,” Pop president Brad Schwartz said in a release. “We’re committed to this new partnership and psyched to bring the show’s loyal fans a dedicated night to watch their favorite show on Pop every week.” 

The deal marks the third distribution home for Impact Wrestling in as many years. Prior to airing on Destination America, Spike TV had carried Impact Wrestling for nine years.

“Pop’s enthusiasm for our partnership and the network’s fan focus is a perfect fit for our company,” said TNA President Dixie Carter in a statement.