The following is an excerpt from a new blog from WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross regarding the rumors surrounding TNA’s television negotiations with Spike TV:
“So, Sunday night TMZ reports that Spike TV isn’t renewing their current TV rights fee arrangement with Impact Wrestling. I assume that to be true based on how TMZ presented the story but I’m on the outside (luckily) looking in. Today TNA/Impact says that negotiations are still on going with Spike while Spike says that they don’t comment on “on going negotiations.”
I knew the ‘spin’ on this matter would be prevalent once I heard the news Sunday night and whether or not this info is ‘spin’ or merely an update to settle things down, I don’t know.
In the world of negotiations, Spike may simply be trying to pay a much lower rights fee to TNA than in the past and have made their position clear by saying that we are not renewing the deal at the current numbers.
Could Spike be thinking like TBS, Turner Broadcasting Systems, when Jim Crockett Promotions found themselves in financial trouble and TBS bought WCW and perhaps be looking to add a pro wrestling brand to their list of properties? Spike/Viacom recently bought out MMA company Bellator….which definitely needs a new name…BTW.
Those would be two fresh, first run programs that appeal to a primary male demo and that seems to be the Spike profile or so it seems to me based on their current programming more often than not.
Why would Spike want to get rid of one of the few shows on their network that garners over 1M viewers per week in prime time? That makes no sense to me but Spike negotiating to keep TNA at a lower dollar does.”
Check out the complete blog at JRsBarBQ.com.
TNA Going OUT OF BUSINESS?! HUGE Update On The Future Of The Company …
