Spike TV Extends Impact Wrestling Through End of 2014; Both Sides Still Negotiating

[It's Damn Real!]

“IMPACT WRESTLING will remain a vital part of Spike TV's programming on Wednesday nights, 9/8c, through the end of the year. Negotiations remain ongoing beyond this time frame.”

Tonight marks IMPACT WRESTLING’s official move to Wednesday nights. Tune in at 9/8c for the most anticipated night of hardcore wrestling on television. One of TNA’s most popular annual Pay-Per-Views “Hardcore Justice,” will be featured tonight, free on Spike TV.

http://www.impactwrestling.com/news/item/6020

@thewadekeller: Spike extends TNA Impact contract through end of 2014. Negotiations continue for extension into '15. Details at http://t.co/w7omooNC7q soon

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So at the very least, we know for certain that TNA will continue to air to Bound For Glory and through it, through to the end of the calendar year. Previous reports had the contract ending at some point in September or October, essentially just shy of Bound For Glory, where the concern was that they may not even return to television following the Pay-Per-View.

Positive sign for a company in dire need of them right now.

 

[three count bout]

Good news. Let's hope the switch to Wednesday and hopefully the lack of competition i.e. football helps. I thought I read some reports awhile back that said even if they didn't renew long term Spike might consider extending them for a little bit so maybe this is that or perhaps a trial to see if Wednesday is any better for them.

Between Davey Richards injury and Bully being rumored to leave this is a small bright spot.

 

[klunderbunker]

Definitely good news after a long stretch of problems. This doesn't solve most of their problems and really just gets them back to normal for a few more months, but more importantly than that it buys them a few more months to find a new home in case Spike gets rid of them. TNA needs a more permanent spot, but this gives them some breathing room instead of something else punching them in the face.

 

[Slash-LN]

I'm happy with this.
It means I can still get me weekly dose of TNA fir a few more months at the least.

Hopefully they can work something out with Spike or find a station that will actually promote them.

Baby steps I guess.

 

[Starkist]

I'm glad they got some sort of movement with this situation. To me, this all sounds like the whole Raw and USA crap that was rumored. In the end, I feel Spike will keep TNA and we can continue to watch it regularly like we do now. Now if they can keep Bully Ray, that'd be awesome too.

 

[GODSON]

http://slam.canoe.ca/SlamWrestlingArchive2000/sep23_ecw-can.html

They did the same thing with ECW.

 

[Rayne]

In light of all the knocks TNA's taken recently, I really want to come out and say how this is unequivocally a good thing. Being the 'look at the books' guy, I haven't had much good to say recently.

SpikeTV doesn't want a deal with TNA, in its present shape, but they aren't ready to move on an alternative. Like I've said a thousand times before, both companies are in a mutual hostage situation. TNA can't work for as low a price as Spike seems to want, and Spike seems to be insisting on leverage over the financial direction of TNA in exchange- something the current management isn't willing to offer. Without a real alternative, SpikeTV can threaten to cut them- even playing brinksmanship, which is what we might be seeing here- but they can't afford to straight up cancel TNA.

If they do get an alternative, or figure reruns of Blue Mountain State might do better in the time slot, TNA's done. Meanwhile, TNA gets that time to get their shit together, which...................................

............
.........

.....right.


For the fans, this is unequivocally a good thing. You're getting four more months of TNA than you might have otherwise expected. Awesome!

 

[Pedigree1]

This is a good thing,but i ask is this only delaying the obvious?? For fans of TNA i am happy for you guys i am! Four more months of TNA is a great thing.. It seems painfully obvious that Spike and TNA are pretty much done at this point.. This buys time for TNA to find another network and time slot to call home..

TNA shouldn't wait until the 11th hour to find a new slot.. True they have a little more breathing room now,but they should fix this ASAP.. I wish TNA all the best,but there losing all the top stars Bully Ray is the latest to reportedly to be leaving.. They are still in dire straits and hanging on by a thread at this point! I wish them the best

 

[Lowdown]

Good news for the time being. Hopefully TNA and Spike can come to terms on a new deal. I won't go jumping for joy just yet though. Right now it's talk of ongoing negotiations, however as mentioned there's still holes to plug in the ship. If/when Bully Ray leaves it's going to have a lasting effect.

 

[SpecialFNK]

I don't know if this has been posted here before. Kurt Angle did an interview, where he went over multiple different things. but he answered one question about TNA and Spike. this was from a few days ago I think.

Will TNA leave Spike TV:

It all depends. right now the deal is not done. It all depends on how much TNA wants and how much Spike Wants to pay them. I don’t think it’s ever been an issue that Spike no longer wanted TNA. I think TNA is probably asking for more money and Spike wants to give them what they did before. I believe it has a lot to do with the agency that TNA signed with, UTA. They’re showing that TNA has value and that they are worth more. Other networks have been considered so I think TNA would like to stay on Spike it’s just a matter of where they can meet in the middle to make it happen.

I think most of what I've read around the net has been Spike does not want TNA or even Spike wants TNA but only at less than what they were paying before. WHAT IF Spike wants TNA the same, but TNA is holding out for MORE money?

this extension is definitely good news, at least for now. hopefully TNA and Spike can come to an agreement.

 

[Alastor]

If TNA is probably asking for more money because they hired a third party to negotiate for them. They need Spike to pay more to get the same in the past.

Anyway this is good news for fans of TNA, at least the show can continue. Even if TNA eventually goes away, they can at least write for a decent last show on Spike instead of an abrupt cancellation.

 

[Fabulous Freebirds]

This is great news. Seems like Spike TV was / is playing hardball with TNA. Probably wants to pay them less.

But, TNA is the highest rated show on that awful network. Spike would need their heads examined to get rid of them.

At the end of they day TNA will get a new contract - at a lesser price - in 2015.

 

[MINISTRYrising]

Whether it be Spike or somebody else, I really hope TNA get another TV deal. Sure TNA have made a lot off mistakes over the last couple of years, But this last couple of months since TNA has been in New York, The company has had a different feel to it and has Started to improve week after week to the point where people afr starting to take notice again and it would be a shame for all that to go away again just when TNA seem to be on the up.

 

[Terry Gyimah]

But at least from my understanding anyway I heard TNA was in the process of going under or that they were going under in terms of going out of business because of the fact that they couldn't reach a deal but TNA if they plan on surviving the only way to really get a deal is if they can somehow get a new one with Spike or by moving to a new network altogether but I would have said that if TNA were that rich enough, then who knows they could have their own network similar to how WWE has their own network now but everyone is claiming that TNA is a sinking ship and so far it looks like they have been sinking for quite a while but they are managing to find their way again so who knows

 

[aholeisahole]

But, TNA is the highest rated show on that awful network. Spike would need their heads examined to get rid of them.

But it's not just about ratings here, it's about ratings vs. costs.

A re-run of an episode of COPS from 1999 or an episode of Bar Rescue might not get the ratings than Impact gets, but both cost a lot less to produce than Impact (especially COPS, since Spike is just re-airing old episodes).

In that case, it's easy for Spike to put on a lower-rated program if it still makes them more money, or, in any other case, try out a new show that will cost less than Impact but potentially bring in more dough.

Put it this way: Disney could spend $20 million per episode on Agents of SHIELD and have The Avengers guest star weekly if it wanted to and probably get incredible ratings. However, there's no way ABC would make that kind of money back on a TV show.

 

[Terry Gyimah]

TNA is a sinking ship, reminds me a whole lot of WCW because when you think about it TNA is like the second coming of World Championship Wrestling before it went out of business, TNA is mirroring exactly what WCW was back in the day