CONTACTABOUTFACEBOOKTWITTERPODCAST IPHONE APPANDROID APPAMAZON APPRSS
Pro Wrestling Torch
Pro Wrestling Torch Reaches The Most Wrestling Fans Every Week: #1 in iTunes • #1 on iPhone and iPad • #1 on Android • #1 on Kindle
GOT THE PWTORCH APP YET?
iPhone & iPad
Android
Amazon Kindle
Windows Phone
PWTorch Phone App
TNA News
TNA & ROH TV TIMELINE: What led to Wednesday's big announcement - what did TNA know?, when did Dest. America talk to ROH?, what was said internally?, more

May 28, 2015 - 12:34:22 AM
PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO BOOKMARK US & VISIT US DAILY


By James Caldwell, PWTorch assistant editor

Impact2015_21.jpg



The following is a timeline of events over the past 2-3 months that captures Destination America's relationship with TNA Wrestling and now Ring of Honor heading into a very interesting time period for both promotions.

- Spring Season: ROH and Destination America began TV discussions, just a few months into TNA's run on Dest. America. PWTorch editor Wade Keller tweeted Wednesday: "I'm told this DestAm-ROH deal was in works long before any falling out between DestAm and TNA. This was not a rushed deal, in other words."

This could be viewed one of two ways - Dest. America was starting to sour on TNA, but not pro wrestling, so they were preparing to find a replacement. Or, they felt that adding a relatively inexpensive wrestling show to create a programming block with TNA would help strengthen Impact, which they were already financially committed to. Overall, there was not a falling-out with TNA management at the time of Dest. America talking to ROH.

- Early April: Around the same time of ROH and Dest. America continuing to talk, TNA president Dixie Carter reportedly mis-directed a snarky email in response to a press release containing Impact viewership information. The press release was issued by Discovery Communications representing Destination America. Sources tell PWTorch that Carter's email went above Dest. America to Discovery officials.

The email gaffe was just one issue between TNA and Dest. America, as there was starting to be a falling-out independent of the email that landed at their parent company. Many Dest. America employees were not fans of TNA, especially because they had trouble selling advertising, but Discovery was still in TNA's corner at the time of the email.

- Friday, May 8: About one month later, Dest. America aired a "semi-live" episode of TNA Impact that was expected to perform well airing the same day that it was taped. However, TV viewership fell 16 percent from the previous week, which was partially attributed to Impact opposing NBA top star LeBron James in the NBA Playoffs.

- Monday, May 11: TV viewership for the May 8 episode was tabulated and reported. Carter's email was considered just one aspect of an ongoing fall-out, and lackluster viewership for this expensive episode was considered a tipping point.

- Around May 11: Dest. America circulated a memo announcing they were not including Impact on their fall TV line-up, according to the Wrestling Observer. Included in the reported memo was a key line capturing angst in the Dest. America offices: "I hope this is good news given all of the advertisers that included TNA on their DNA (Do Not Advertise) list."

Dest. America also captured viewership concerns: "While the ratings were strong, the audience was not large enough to justify the program investment."

At the time of the memo, Dest. America was still talking to ROH about a TV deal. Sources tell PWTorch that TNA was not aware of the talks at the time, which captures one of the big aspects of this story that TNA was kept out of the loop on Dest. America's talks with ROH.

"All indications are TNA was relatively blind-sided by this and certainly was not part of the negotiations and endorsing this move," reported Wade Keller in his Wednesday VIP Hotline.

Also notable in the reported memo was Dest. America saying: "We plan to honor the current contract and continue to air original episodes of TNA Wrestling on Friday nights through the end of the third quarter 2015."

- Friday, May 15: Just a few days after the memo was reportedly released, Dest. America announced they were moving Impact from Friday to Wednesday nights starting June 3.

So, within the same week of the internal memo being released stating Dest. America's commitment to Impact on Friday nights, Dest. America decided to move Impact to a new night. Was that because ROH talks were close to being finalized?

- Wednesday, May 20: The Observer released its report on Dest. America marking Impact for cancellation, about one week after the memo was circulated. TNA president Dixie Carter reportedly knew about the memo and was asked to address the situation prior to the report being released, but she did not comment. Once the report came out, some members of TNA management lashed out publicly via Twitter and there were internal discussions to issue a strong response.

- Thursday, May 21: TNA released a basic statement vaguely decrying to the report, but did not address anything specific within the report, which resulted in leaving talent in the dark on TNA's TV standing.

- Week of May 25: Dest. America and ROH finalized their TV deal, which called for an initial commitment period of 26 weeks of ROH's current syndicated TV show.

TNA, reportedly without knowledge of ROH's talks with Dest. America, scheduled a conference call with talent on May 27 to discuss their TV standing with Dest. America.

- Wednesday, May 27: Around 1:30 p.m. EST, ROH announced their deal with Destination America on Twitter. This was followed by a formal press release from Dest. America, ROH, and ROH's parent company Sinclair Broadcasting. The announcement jumped the gun on TNA's internal conference call with talent.

At 3:00 p.m. EST, TNA held their scheduled conference call to address their TV standing, which was originally to address last week's news, but suddenly took on new life shortly after the ROH announcement.

As reported Wade Keller, Carter said on the call that she believes that Dest. America is committed to carrying TNA programming in 2016.

However, when pressed by talent if there is an "out" clause for Destination America to cancel Impact this fall, Carter said due to legal advice and confidentiality clauses, she could not comment other than to say escape clauses are common in TV deals.

With about an hour-and-a-half for talent to process ROH's announcement, TNA tried to put them at ease with an optimistic stance, saying TNA was making plans for the 2016 season on Dest. America and they believed the ROH deal would be mutually beneficial for both companies.

However, coming out of the meeting, talent were frustrated by a lack of communication and firm answers on the company's U.S. TV future. After the call, those who commented publicly on Twitter took management's stance that ROH's deal would be beneficial for both sides to create a three-hour block of wrestling programming on Wednesday nights.

Whether or not TNA can make a case to stay on the network beyond September remains to be seen in this ongoing story. Notably, neither TNA nor Dest. America have formally commented on TNA's TV future. It could simply be a case of not wanting Impact to be a lame-duck show finishing out its run, but unless Dest. America officially announces the end of Impact on their network, it leaves the door open for the possibility of a change between now and September.

- Going forward: Since this is the wrestling business, there are those who believe TNA, ROH, and the network are working together to create interest in the wrestling shows.

But, as noted above, TNA reportedly was not aware of ROH's TV deal until late in the game. TNA is now taking the role of being a "good sport" acknowledging ROH's presence and now presenting the idea of Dest. America housing the #2 and #3 U.S. promotions in hopes of maintaining their position on the network beyond September and into 2016.

- Thursday, May 28: To address the new TV deal further, ROH COO Joe Koff is scheduled to appear on the PWTorch Livecast with Wade Keller. The show starts at 5:30 p.m. EST at PWTorchLivecast.com.


We suggest these recent related articles...
TV RATINGS: TNA Impact & ROH TV viewership - Week 19 on Dest. America - Impact surges post-BFG, ROH draws big audience
TV WRESTLING VIEWERSHIP - Week of Sept. 28: Full Break Down of last week's Pro Wrestling TV with DVR viewing
TNA NEWS: TNA announces TV tapings on January U.K. Tour
prowrestling.net
CLICK HERE FOR EVEN MORE PW.NET HEADLINES


CLICK TO EMAIL THIS ARTICLE
CLICK HERE TO RETURN TO MAIN LISTING

NEW! SIGN UP FOR FREE PWTORCH BREAKING NEWS EMAIL ALERTS
BECOME A PWTORCH VIP MEMBER
-FORMER MEMBERS LOGIN HERE TO RENEW
-NEW MEMBERS CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP
SELECT BY ARTICLES CATEGORY
SEARCH PWTORCH.COM



CLICK HERE FOR LIST OF UPCOMING PRO WRESTLING EVENTS
MORE HEADLINES AT AFFILIATE SITES
MMATorch
LATEST HEADLINES - CLICK TO READ CLICK HERE FOR MORE MMATORCH HEADLINES



LATEST HEADLINES - CLICK TO READ CLICK HERE FOR EVEN MORE INC HEADLINES

_
LATEST FREE AUDIO SHOWS - CLICK TO LISTEN VIEW MORE PWTORCH LIVECAST EPISODES
DOWNLOAD PWTORCH LIVECAST APP
SUBSCRIBE TO PWTORCH LIVECAST IN ITUNES


ABOUT US

THE TORCH REACHES MORE COMBAT ENTERTAINMENT FANS THAN ANY OTHER SOURCE

PWTorch editor Wade Keller has covered pro wrestling full time since 1987 starting with the Pro Wrestling Torch print newsletter. PWTorch.com launched in 1999 and the PWTorch Apps launched in 2008.

He has conducted "Torch Talk" insider interviews with Hulk Hogan, The Rock, Steve Austin, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, Eric Bischoff, Jesse Ventura, Lou Thesz, Jerry Lawler, Mick Foley, Jim Ross, Paul Heyman, Bruno Sammartino, Goldberg, more.

He has interviewed big-name players in person incluiding Vince McMahon (at WWE Headquarters), Dana White (in Las Vegas), Eric Bischoff (at the first Nitro at Mall of America), Brock Lesnar (after his first UFC win).

He hosted the weekly Pro Wrestling Focus radio show on KFAN in the early 1990s and hosted the Ultimate Insiders DVD series distributed in retail stories internationally in the mid-2000s including interviews filmed in Los Angeles with Vince Russo & Ed Ferrara and Matt & Jeff Hardy. He currently hosts the most listened to pro wrestling audio show in the world, (the PWTorch Livecast, top ranked in iTunes)


REACHING 1 MILLION+ UNIQUE USERS PER MONTH
500 MILLION CLICKS & LISTENS PER YEAR
MILLIONS OF PWTORCH NEWSLETTERS SOLD
PWTORCH STAFF

EDITORS:
Wade Keller, editor
(kellerwade@gmail.com)

James Caldwell, assistant editor
(pwtorch@gmail.com)

STAFF COLUMNISTS:
Bruce Mitchell (since 1990)
Pat McNeill (since 2001)
Greg Parks (since 2007)
Sean Radican (since 2003)

We also have a great team of
TV Reporters
and Specialists and Artists.

PWTORCH VIP MEMBERSHIP

PWTorch offers a VIP membership for $10 a month (or less with an annual sub). It includes nearly 25 years worth of archives from our coverage of pro wrestling dating back to PWTorch Newsletters from the late-'80s filled with insider secrets from every era that are available to VIPers in digital PDF format and Keller's radio show from the early 1990s.

Also, new exclusive top-shelf content every day including a new VIP-exclusive weekly 16 page digital magazine-style (PC and iPad compatible) PDF newsletter packed with exclusive articles and news.

The following features come with a VIP membership which tens of thousands of fans worldwide have enjoyed for many years...

-New Digital PWTorch Newsletter every week
-3 New Digital PDF Back Issues from 5, 10, 20 years ago
-Over 60 new VIP Audio Shows each week
-Ad-free access to all PWTorch.com free articles
-VIP Forum access with daily interaction with PWTorch staff and well-informed fellow wrestling fans
-Tons of archived audio and text articles
-Decades of Torch Talk insider interviews in transcript and audio formats with big name stars.


**SIGN UP FOR VIP ACCESS HERE**

CONTACTABOUTFACEBOOKTWITTERPODCASTIPHONE APPANDROID APPAMAZON APPRSS
VIP SIGN-UP
VIP LOGIN
THE TORCH: #1 IN COMBAT ENTERTAINMENT COVERAGE | © 1999-2013 TDH Communications Inc. • All rights reserved -- PRIVACY POLICY