TNA in "Very Serious" Talks with New Investor Who Wants Controlling Stake of Company

[It's Damn Real!]

There are said to be very serious talks going on in regards to TNA bringing on a new investor. The new party wants to purchase 55% of the company but Dixie Carter is trying to negotiate them having 49% so she keeps controlling power.

TNA has to live on their own money these days, which is making things tight, and The Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that the investor may already be involved in a limited role.

http://www.pwmania.com/backstage-ta...-new-investor-advertising-revenue-with-pop-tv

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Carter is obviously not going to just give away controlling stake in the company. Just ask Jeff Jarrett what happens when you do that. Everything changes, and you are potentially voting yourself out of your own company (depending on how things fare as a result).

But it's great news to see whomever this might be wanting to invest, and wanting controlling stake at that. The last time this happened was when Jarrett and his father went to Panda in the first place.

 

[SHAGAMANIA 3:16]

I wonder who could possibly be seeing any worth in TNA.
They have lost all their draws and have lost a huge number of their audience due to them not being on Spike anymore. The only thing that would be worth something from TNA is a bargain price on the production equipment.

 

[OYDK]

You know, for all the crap Dixie gets, at least TNA has stayed alive under her...albeit barely, but alive nonetheless. I don't fault her for wanting a controlling share in her company because as you mentioned, without one she's both liable and likely to get booted out eventually.

If I'm being honest, I have more faith in TNA under Dixie Carter at this point than I do in a new investor. At least we know Dixie is willing to lose money and won't sell the house when things start going south, and knowing TNA, things will most definitely go south no matter who's running the ship at this point. Color me surprised that there are still some interested in investing in TNA at all.

 

[dsotm5150]

For the amount of money Dixie is most likely shooting for, a controlling stake is probably not out of the realm of a reasonable request. With TNA being subsidiary of a privately owned company the general public really has no clue what the net worth of TNA really is or the quarterly earning and losses like we do with a publicly traded company.

If I were an investor knowing that TNA has been around close to 15 years, I would want financial records dating back atleast 10 years so that I could get an accurate overview of how this company got in the position its in. I would also want a clear 5 year plan on how my money is going to be spent going forward, after all I would expect to make my money back and then some.

Now for the numbers, for example let's say TNA's net worth is in the $5 - $10 milllion range. Dixie doesn't have a whole lot of wiggle room when it comes requesting an investment that would leave her with controlling stake. If she's looking for any amount of money that's half the value or more of the company then there's no way she can keep controlling stake of TNA, and rightfully so given how the company has been managed in the last 5 years alone. Dixie is most likely going to just have to swallow her pride and accept minority ownership and prove she's capable of remaining in the position of President.

If she's afraid of losing her job all she has to do is have it written into the final contract that she remains in a position of power within TNA. Of course if I were the investor I would have an addendum added in that if TNA doesn't turn a profit within a certain amount of time she could be removed. It'll be interesting to see what happens though.

 

[Bischoff's Knob Slobberer]

I wonder who could possibly be seeing any worth in TNA.
They have lost all their draws and have lost a huge number of their audience due to them not being on Spike anymore. The only thing that would be worth something from TNA is a bargain price on the production equipment.

What proof do you have that TNA has lost all their draws and a huge number of their audience?

 

[Nate DaMac]

What proof do you have that TNA has lost all their draws and a huge number of their audience?

Uh... seriously? Since leaving Spike TV, TNA has lost more than half of the audience it had. In 2015 they averaged around 330,000 viewers. They always hovered around a million on Spike.

 

[Alex]

I'm conflicted. Dixie seems extremely loyal to TNA as she hasn't ditched it but at the same time the stupid decisions made under her have been mind boggling.

The fact that some people seem interested in TNA at this point is good in the sense it hasn't been seen as a complete write off.

I guess an ideal scenario would be her keeping a majority share but her input is a minimum.

 

[OddManRush]

To be honest, TNA has been a sinking ship for a few years now. The TV deals used to be significant, now you can barely find the station they are on. This is not a knock on the talent, because there is talent there.

If I'm Dixie Carter, I recognize that this is not moving forward in a positive way. Sitting back as a voiceless minority owner is insulting. If they want a controlling stake, I'd go back to the table and tell them that if they want it, to take her entire share.

 

[Rayne]

It's tough to say anything with any certainty without knowing who this investor is. This could be venture capital in motion, with a group purchasing TNA, installing new management, then trying to sell it for a profit a few years down the line. It could be another person in the long line of people with Too Much Money who has chosen to blow it on professional wrestling. It could be a television distribution company looking for weekly programming for their networks (a la the Sinclair/ROH arrangement). Without knowing the identity of the buyer, it's impossible to guess at the motives for why they might want to purchase TNA- and as a result, whether they'd be interested in a 49% deal at all.

What proof do you have that TNA has lost all their draws and a huge number of their audience?

This website is a list of historical ratings for professional wrestling programming in the United States. Unfortunately they don't have a company-by-company view, so you'll have to look at the year-by-year view. From about 2006 until 2014, TNA hovered at around one million viewers, peaking at around 1.4m in 2010. Then in 2015, with the move to Destination America, their viewership dropped off a cliff, starting at around 350,000 but dropping to 200,000. On Pop TV, about 300,000 people are watching per week.

http://www.gerweck.net/tv-ratings/

You may now make your regular rebuttal about how lol everyone is stupid here.

 

[King Patrick Star]

This is probably farfetched, but I hope its WWE or ROH trying to buy TNA.

WWE can take TNA and do whatever they want with the current roster. They can give them their own show or have them invade and lose to the Federation. I don’t really care. It’s the video library that I hope they take and put on the Network.

ROH can take TNA and expand both companies in ways either company can’t do right now. Both TNA and ROH need to do something, because the way I see it right now, NXT, the dependent “Indy Fed” with the greatest production value, is the second best Professional Sports Wrestling Entertainment company in the World today. NXT isn’t even on TV for “free”. NXT doesn’t even have a mid-card Championship Title. If they, TNA and ROH, don’t make a big splash soon, the distance between the 2nd best and the 3rd best will be the longest it’s ever been, since the end of the fall of the AWA.

 

[stingray11214]

This is probably farfetched, but I hope its WWE or ROH trying to buy TNA.

WWE can take TNA and do whatever they want with the current roster. They can give them their own show or have them invade and lose to the Federation. I don’t really care. It’s the video library that I hope they take and put on the Network.

ROH can take TNA and expand both companies in ways either company can’t do right now. Both TNA and ROH need to do something, because the way I see it right now, NXT, the dependent “Indy Fed” with the greatest production value, is the second best Professional Sports Wrestling Entertainment company in the World today. NXT isn’t even on TV for “free”. NXT doesn’t even have a mid-card Championship Title. If they, TNA and ROH, don’t make a big splash soon, the distance between the 2nd best and the 3rd best will be the longest it’s ever been, since the end of the fall of the AWA.

Vince would only be interested in the video library, which he is NOT going to pay $5-10 Million for.

As for RoH: Look, if the Sinclair family REALLY wanted to, they could challenge WWE NOW. They own many TV stations across the country. They partly own a Network. They are buying up Cable TV channels. VKM's worst nightmare would be if Sinclair took over MyNetwork AND bought a TV station in NYC. Then, even though Comet is "free TV" they could launch RoH on "free" TV WITHOUT worrying about shareholders WITH a TRUE flagship station right smack in the middle of NY's Metro area. Want to see Vince shit?

As for TNA: Look, as long as Dixie remains in control, TNA will be spinning its wheels. Look at NJPW? When in the last year's of Inoki running it, New Japan was constantly crapped on. Look what has happened once he sold it? NJPW is probably the biggest Pro Wrestling company in the world right now. TNA, under new ownership and direction, could skyrocket into a very strong position despite its' history. If Dixie cares more about her legacy rather than collecting a paycheck, she will sell off TNA, and ride with Serge into the sunset.

 

[MrHashasheen]

@Rayne: My one problem with saying that TNA's lost their viewership is that it only happened as they dropped to consecutively smaller networks. Not saying it's not on them for failing to grow their following or staying on Spike, but I don't know they wouldn't be doing more than what they are now if they weren't still on Spike.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

Seeking an investor for the company is a march down the slippery slope to losing control of it altogether. As has been pointed out already, look how that fared for Jeff Jarrett. He retained a little more than 25% interest in the company but that also meant that he had no real power and Dixie obviously knows that it'd almost certainly happen to her.

Dixie gets a lot of crap, some deserved and some undeserved, but TNA is her baby and she's done everything she possibly can do to keep her baby fed. The biggest problem is that, if reports are accurate, the company is still just barely keeping its head above water and I don't see how it can maintain at that level forever. One major financial setback MIGHT be the straw that breaks TNA's back.

 

[Rayne]

@Rayne: My one problem with saying that TNA's lost their viewership is that it only happened as they dropped to consecutively smaller networks. Not saying it's not on them for failing to grow their following or staying on Spike, but I don't know they wouldn't be doing more than what they are now if they weren't still on Spike.

I absolutely agree that they'd be getting better numbers were they still on Spike- but there's no arguing the claim that TNA has lost a major portion of its audience. Worse, those are fans that can't start watching TNA again should they choose to, because most of them no longer have access to it.

TNA's being pulled from Spike was a long time in the making; a large investment was placed into them with the expectation that they could perform better than they had been. (Kind of what's going on here, when someone would want a controlling ownership interest.) TNA didn't get the ratings increase that Spike felt that they had paid for, and Spike- especially considering the shrinking cable television market- felt it was more cost effective to go with low-budget, 'meh' ratings shows that are reliable profit makers.

 

[Kizzani]

This is really Mrs. Carters chance to prove she has some business chops. Sell the majority of your stocks, but not out right.
If someone has the sense of what they can get out of TNA wrestling.

So the wording would be different but here is the jist.

X man ( until we know who it is, please don't get gender bs with me) Gets controlling share when and if they can meet the standards. They start with 45% and can gain more over the next 5 years. If TNA grows by the end of the year you go up a few percent. After 5 years if they have not made X level of money, sponsors, and Rating. The X-man never goes about 49% can sell back his shares at a lowered value. Now if he does meet all points then be smart and allow him to get 51.

Overall if you are the CEO (and are spinning your wheels) then you need to rethink it, Just because all these marks say "Work at it, Try hard, Pu the work in" doesn't mean you will actually ever get there, sometimes thinks you want to be good at you just are not ( Zach Ryder, Lana, Curtis Axel)

She is keep the boat upright, but the flooding is no joke and the ship is sinking, You are not WCW, no one will care when you drop off.

If another partner can help you make money, then that is the route you need to take, be smart or go hang with WCW.

 

[rbv13]

I've seen a few conversations on this topic and it looks as if the potential investor is Fight Network. They are looking towards serious expansion and would like to add TNA to their portfolio. This would mean carrying TNA content including weekly programming and special events.

Changing gears here. Everyone is quick to point out, the undeniable fact, that TNA has seen a drastic drop in viewers. It is going to happen when you move to a smaller market. Does anyone know the current percentage of available viewers reached as opposed to the Spike TV days? To me it would be an important stat to see how many potential viewers are actually tuning in.

 

[johnbragg]

Does anyone know the current percentage of available viewers reached as opposed to the Spike TV days? To me it would be an important stat to see how many potential viewers are actually tuning in.

Nielsen's numbers say Spike is in 93M homes, PopTV is in 75M homes. Destination America, 57M homes.

The problem is, TNA was losing viewers and talent at the end of the Spike run, lost a lot with the move to Destination America, and the move to PopTV isn't helping much.

I've been among the hordes calling for Dixie to go since the beginning of the Hogan era, but the reality is that Dixie's ego and PAnda Energy money are the pillars that have kept TNA alive for 14 years now, beating ECW and Turner's WCW in longevity, not to mention World Class, USWA, UWF....

Selling TNA to someone who will expect to make a profit removes those two pillars.

 

[mlp420]

I knew this thread would end up filled with mostly smug comments from business "experts" about TNA's value. Talk about broken records. Whatever company is talking with TNA is probably focused on what TNA could become with their backing, not the past.


I don't know that a deal can get done without The Carters surrendering majority ownership though. Most likely this group wants to be in control as opposed to betting cash on the current regime. I'm very curious to see who these investors are and what they have at their disposal.

 

[filthyanimalz]

Not out of realm of possibility that the investor is Hulk Hogan, after all he is set to receive a pretty big wack of cash from Gawker.

 

[Starkist]

Not out of realm of possibility that the investor is Hulk Hogan, after all he is set to receive a pretty big wack of cash from Gawker.

Please, I hope this never happens. Keep Hogan away from TNA. The one thing I can say is they could finish the angle of Hogan walking out on Dixie. Years later that is.

Not sure who the investor is or if there is even is one. If true I hope it is the Fight network or whatever it is. That might be good for TNA as long as thry keep the MMA out of the show.

 

[The Boss]

Not out of realm of possibility that the investor is Hulk Hogan, after all he is set to receive a pretty big wack of cash from Gawker.

While an intreresting possibility as HOLLYWOOD HULK HOGAN brought TNA to its highest level of popularity, the truth is that it is is very unlikely to be him as he won't collect any of that money for quite sometime. Gawker's appeal could take years and even if HOLLYWOOD HULK HOGAN does eventually get some money it is likely to be a much smaller amount. I doubt he would invest any money before even knowing how much he will ultimately end up with.

 

[OYDK]

I've seen a few conversations on this topic and it looks as if the potential investor is Fight Network. They are looking towards serious expansion and would like to add TNA to their portfolio. This would mean carrying TNA content including weekly programming and special events.

Wow, never thought of them. It's a good investment for both sides to be perfectly honest, although as of right now The Fight Network is not available nationwide in the States which may be a potential problem. They have strong Canadian viewership though and have already expanded into Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

Could be a very interesting situation. The FN already airs replays of TNA so it wouldn't be that far of a stretch to see them airing it live instead. Dixie will likely have to sell a controlling share though... intriguing if true.

 

[TDFG]

Well it might come down to Dixie having to finally put company interests ahead of her own.

By the sounds of it TNA is living off it's international TV deals at the minute and if Dixie wants to be a face of TNA that much she could do as she has before and have it in the contract that she remains as an on screen character and has a position of authority when it comes to booking, hiring and firing etc.

 

[Bischoff's Knob Slobberer]

@Rayne: My one problem with saying that TNA's lost their viewership is that it only happened as they dropped to consecutively smaller networks. Not saying it's not on them for failing to grow their following or staying on Spike, but I don't know they wouldn't be doing more than what they are now if they weren't still on Spike.

Ditto, I agree 100%. Rayne is too busy basking in his own self-imagined awesomeness to have a clue as to what you've typed. Checkmate......

I wonder if the new investor will be Hulk Hogan? Mr. Hogan has some serious money coming from the lawsuit he recently won.

 

[Rayne]

Ditto, I agree 100%. Rayne is too busy basking in his own self-imagined awesomeness to have a clue as to what you've typed. Checkmate......

I wonder if the new investor will be Hulk Hogan? Mr. Hogan has some serious money coming from the lawsuit he recently won.

Uh..... you just focused on the spot where he said my name, didn't you? C'mon, admit it- you didn't read what he wrote.

Anyhow, you asked for evidence proving that TNA has lost most of their viewership, and it was provided to you; it is patently obvious that changing networks was a major factor in that (and not one I ever denied or discounted), however that doesn't change the numerical fact. Is there a rebuttal you have to this, or should I just assume you'll say I'm a stupidface and leave it there?