TNA President Dixie Carter posted the following on Twitter:
BREAKING: Thrilled to announce a major, new multi-year deal between TNA & @ChallengeTV to keep ALL our programming FREE in the UK & Ireland
— Dixie Carter (@TNADixie) January 8, 2014
Thanks @ChallengeTV @StevieLadlow for being great partners. Looking forward to taking the #1 wrestling show in the UK/Ireland to new heights
— Dixie Carter (@TNADixie) January 8, 2014
Challenge TV issued the following press release on the new deal:
Challenge is delighted to announce a new multi-year partnership with TNA IMPACT WRESTLING. The deal secures more wrestling programming than ever before for fans and Challenge viewers with Challenge now becoming the exclusive home of TNA IMPACT WRESTLING in the UK and Ireland.
Challenge will show all the exciting action from the TNA MAXIMUM IMPACT VI UK Tour, starting with a TV broadcast on Thursday 30 January 2014 from Glasgow’s SSE Hydro. This event will debut on UK television BEFORE it airs in America and the rest of the world – the first time this has happened in TNA history.
Challenge’s coverage of TNA IMPACT WRESTLING’s extensive arena tour will also include double TV tapings in Manchester (January 31) and London (February 1) and a PPV event in Birmingham (February 2). Footage will also be recorded when TNA visits Dublin on January 29. All shows will be broadcast in 2014.
Challenge has broadcast TNA since February 2011. With the new agreement the channel will continue to air TNA IMPACT WRESTLING every Sunday night at 9pm and TNA Xplosion each Wednesday at 11pm, alongside TNA’s special signature PPV events including Bound For Glory, Lockdown and Slammiversary. Challenge now also has the rights to broadcast some older TNA programming and matches.
TNA President Dixie Carter comments: “TNA’s relationship with our loyal fans in the UK and Ireland is a cornerstone of our remarkable international growth. By continuing our strong relationship with Challenge, fans will still be able to watch free weekly TNA programming, the most-viewed professional wrestling programme across the region.”
Stephen Ladlow, Director of Challenge, adds: “This new deal is terrific for both us and TNA because it’s bringing more content to fans than ever before. It also cements Challenge’s position as the exclusive home of TNA in the UK and Ireland. Challenge viewers can’t get enough of the thrilling fast-paced action and we have big aspirations to build on this appetite, starting with the first show in Glasgow.”
TNA IMPACT WRESTLING is one of the top performing programmes on Challenge and is the most watched weekly wrestling programme in the UK. Sky is the parent company of Challenge, and this new partnership supports its commitment to increase its investment in homegrown content to £600m by 2014, and will let viewers see exclusive UK tour recordings and the superstars of TNA IMPACT WRESTLING in action.
Challenge is available on Freeview channel 46, Sky 145, Virgin 139 and Freesat 145.
Tickets for the TNA MAXIMUM IMPACT VI Tour are on sale now via www.gigsandtours.com/go/tnafan and www.ticketmaster.co.uk.
Full details of the UK and Ireland events are:
Wednesday 29 January 2014 | Dublin National Stadium | 0818 719 300
Thursday 30 January 2014 | Glasgow The SSE Hydro | 0844 811 0051
Friday 31 January 2014 | Manchester Phones 4u Arena | 0844 847 8000
Saturday 01 February 2014 | London Wembley Arena | 0844 815 0815
Sunday 02 February 2014 | Birmingham NIA | 0844 338 8000