Official: Impact Wrestling Moving To Destination America

[Bob-O]

Source: wrestlingnewsworld.com

TNA Wrestling officially announced on Wednesday their new domestic TV deal with Discovery Communications to bring Impact to Destination America beginning in January 2015.

Specifics regarding the deal were not made available in the initial press release, other than it is a multi-year deal for Impact to air on the network. The announcement ends months of speculation after TMZ reported in July that Spike TV had canceled the series. Spike ended up adding dates to their deal to carry the series later into the year but it appears as if the final episode of Impact will air on Wednesday night. We previewed that episode at this link.

Story developing…

The official press release is included below:

(Silver Spring, Md.) – Discovery Communications announced today that it has signed a multi-year deal with TNA (Total Nonstop Action) IMPACT WRESTLING to bring the popular league to homes nationwide on Destination America, the only network dedicated to celebrating the people, places and stories of the United States. Destination America officially enters the ring with its first world premiere of IMPACT WRESTLING in January 2015. The series features some of the biggest names in professional wrestling, including Jeff Hardy, Bobby Roode, Kurt Angle, Bobby Lashley and Gail Kim. The partnership includes the U.S. premieres of additional TNA WRESTLING series and specials and provides Discovery Communications with international broadcasting rights in select regions, to be announced at a later date.

“Our partnership in this uniquely entertaining franchise with TNA IMPACT WRESTLING provides a significant addition to Destination America’s programming strategy,” said Henry Schleiff, Group President of Destination America, Investigation Discovery, American Heroes Channel, Discovery Fit & Health and Discovery Family Channel. “The enduring, cross-generational enthusiasm of pro wrestling is felt by millions of fans around the country, from coast-to-coast and throughout the heartland. We are delighted to bring this beloved American pastime to the one and only network dedicated to celebrating the unique spirit of the U.S., Destination America.”

“Our knockout partnership with TNA IMPACT WRESTLING continues Destination America’s mission of bringing our viewers the best of all-American entertainment, and going center ring with one of the world’s foremost professional wrestling leagues fits perfectly within our DNA,” said Marc Etkind, general manager of Destination America. “Wrestling has created a fiercely loyal, passionate and widespread fan base, and we look forward to being part of the TNA family.”

“We are very excited about Destination America being the new network for IMPACT WRESTLING and the partnership with Discovery Communications both domestically and across the globe. Their commitment to promote and grow our brand in innovative and compelling ways was instrumental in knowing we had found the right home,” said TNA President Dixie Carter. “Together we will create an experience that takes our fans on a new journey that will push the envelope of technology, including where we take our cameras, going deeper into our superstars’ lives and showing the reality of what it takes to create a weekly professional wrestling show, all while showcasing the very best male and female athletes in the world.”

Since launching in 2012, Destination America has become one of cable’s top five fastest-growing networks*, earning 10 consecutive quarters of year-over-year growth in Prime among P2+. With top series that explore unique American cultures and ways of life – including Mountain Monsters, A Haunting, Hillbilly Blood, Buying the Bayou, Buying Alaska, Ghost Asylum and BBQ Pitmasters – Destination America’s programming spans the nation from Alaska, Hawaii and Colorado to Louisiana, West Virginia and communities in between. To find Destination America, the new home of TNA’s IMPACT WRESTLING, go to destinationamerica.com/watchda.

TNA is a privately held sports entertainment company based in Nashville, Tenn., specializing in TV properties, events, merchandise, music, and the management and promotion of professional wrestlers. TNA annually delivers more than 500 hours of original content to millions of fans around the world.

[Big Red Machine]

A few things here, with my professional spin doctor's eye:
1. There was no collaboration between these two sides on verbiage. If there was, you'd think TNA would made sure that they used normal terms like "promotion" instead of "league."

2. Good job placing Bobby Roode's name right up there, and especially between Hardy and Angle. It makes him look like a star.

3.

“Our partnership in this uniquely entertaining franchise with TNA IMPACT WRESTLING provides a significant addition to Destination America’s programming strategy,” said Henry Schleiff, Group President of Destination America, Investigation Discovery, American Heroes Channel, Discovery Fit & Health and Discovery Family Channel. “The enduring, cross-generational enthusiasm of pro wrestling is felt by millions of fans around the country, from coast-to-coast and throughout the heartland. We are delighted to bring this beloved American pastime to the one and only network dedicated to celebrating the unique spirit of the U.S., Destination America.”

This is a fantastically worded paragraph, although I think they missed an opportunity to point out that pro wrestling is one of the few genres of entertainment to originate in the USA.

4. This next paragraph

“Our knockout partnership with TNA IMPACT WRESTLING continues Destination America’s mission of bringing our viewers the best of all-American entertainment, and going center ring with one of the world’s foremost professional wrestling leagues fits perfectly within our DNA,” said Marc Etkind, general manager of Destination America.

is sh*t. It is filled with lame cliched expressions that pin-hole wrestling as being corny and lame. And the whole "fits in perfectly with our DNA" line is so atrocious and stupid that someone should be fired for it.
The final line of the paragraph

“Wrestling has created a fiercely loyal, passionate and widespread fan base, and we look forward to being part of the TNA family.”

is so much better than the rest of it that I'd swear someone else said/wrote it.


And on a separate note:

“Together we will create an experience that takes our fans on a new journey that will push the envelope of technology, including where we take our cameras, going deeper into our superstars’ lives and showing the reality of what it takes to create a weekly professional wrestling show, all while showcasing the very best male and female athletes in the world.”

The wording here (especially "push the envelope of techology, including where we take our cameras") makes it sound like they are going to be spying on the wrestlers and recording them without their knowledge.
2. Oh. So they're going to steal Jeff Jarrett's idea. That's nice of them.

[KILLdozer]

What the fuckin' fuck is fuckin' Destination fuckin' America any-fuckin' ways?

*Editors note: I do in fact talk and cuss like this in everyday life. I type exactly as I talk. Thank you for reading. Stay tuned for more as the time arises.

[Big Red Machine]

Meltzer made an interesting note: Kurt and Gail were mentioned, but aren't under contract, which indicates that TNA is certain they will be sticking around. Bully Ray is not listed, so this might be a sign that he won't be sticking around.

[cero2k]

Meltzer made an interesting note: Kurt and Gail were mentioned, but aren't under contract, which indicates that TNA is certain they will be sticking around. Bully Ray is not listed, so this might be a sign that he won't be sticking around.

Kurt resigned i think some weeks ago, Gail i don't know.

[Big Red Machine]

Meltzer made an interesting note: Kurt and Gail were mentioned, but aren't under contract, which indicates that TNA is certain they will be sticking around. Bully Ray is not listed, so this might be a sign that he won't be sticking around.

Kurt resigned i think some weeks ago, Gail i don't know.

That's what I thought, too.