Challenge TV announced that they will no longer be the home of TNA Impact Wrestling television shows in the United Kingdom as of January. The network issued the following statement via their website: “We know that many TNA fans will be disappointed to hear this, but we wanted to let you all know that as of January 2017, Challenge will no longer be the home of TNA in the UK. TNA has been a huge and important part of Challenge’s story over the years and we will treasure some great moments like the British Bootcamp and UK tours. We have been proud to bring UK viewers coverage of TNA and have huge respect for the company and its fans. TNA is packed with great talent and we know they will continue to do great things – we wish them all the best.”
Meanwhile, TNA issued the following statement via their website. “We are proud to have had such a great relationship with Challenge, and appreciate how the channel has brought Impact Wrestling to our avid viewers through the years. In today’s world, spoilers are inevitable. We’ve heard from the fans in the UK and know you do not want to wait 3-5 days to watch the program after it airs in the US. Our goal is to broadcast Impact Wrestling in the UK as close to the US premiere as possible. We look forward to announcing that opportunity soon, so stay tuned. In the meantime, we hope you continue to watch IMPACT Wrestling on Challenge, Sunday nights at 9pm, as well as Xplosion and pay-per-views and follow us on social media.”
Powell’s POV: This is a huge blow to TNA if they do not have an adequate replacement lined up in terms of both distribution and revenue. The TNA statement regarding spoilers is rich considering that most shows are taped well before their air date. A big thanks to Dot Net Member Luke Woodyatt (a/k/a Chewbaccasleg in the members’ forum).
With Dixie Carter still involved, TNa can go to Hell.