TNA's new UK Home
 

source: Pwinsider


As noted earlier here on the website, TNA Wrestling President Dixie Carter announced Tuesday that all TNA programming in the U.K. will air on Sky TV channel Challenge beginning next month. Challenge TV will broadcast iMPACT! each week, as well as Xplosion and monthly pay-per-view events. TNA’s television situation in the U.K. had been limbo since January 1 when its former home, Bravo, was shut down. Challenge TV generally airs game show programs, but is available to Sky, Virgin, and Freeview systems. By getting on Freeview, TNA programming will eventually be available to every television in the United Kingdom (once the UK Digital Switchover is completed in 2012). At yesterday’s live event in Dublin, Ireland, Carter informed the live audience that TNA signed a new television distribution agreement in the U.K.


TNA’s new programming home in the UK, Challenge TV, will in fact place the company’s shows in more UK markets then WWE. The channel is part of the lowest subscription packages for Sky, Virgin Media and BT. Sky Sports, WWE’s programming home, is an exclusive package that is expensive on Sky and even more expensive on rival services. Digital TV penetration in the UK is about 34%, compared to just 37% for Sky. Reports are also stating that Challenge TV is trying to create a block of programming aimed at young male viewers, and that TNA will be part of that effort.

Lol, it's on the game show channel. In other words "we're paying for this crap for another couple of years, best stick it somewhere".

Same amount of available viewers, they just don't have people staying tuned in after "UK's Hardest Men with Danny Dyer" or whatever.

Did they actually think of Danny Dyer's career when they shut down Bravo? Heartless bastards.

"TNA iMPACT! coming up tonight at 10pm... but before that we have classic family Fortunes, Stars in their Eyes and The Crystal Maze!"

This was the channel that was right next to Bravo,lol.

Ha Ha Sky Sports should have bought the rights to this. Could have given them some more views...

With it being on Chalenge TV at least it's accessible to more people than if it was on Bravo so that's something, I was thinking the other day as to whether or not it was possible for it to have been on ESPN. Not sure which company owns ESPN in the UK, but isn't it owned by Disney in the USA? Maybe they could have reached a deal to have PPV's shown on that network, could have given the show a bigger feel to it than being on Challenge TV.

I read somewhere it's going to be on the new HBO-inspired 'Sky Atlantic' channel.

I'd sit through Impact to watch the Crystal Maze.... so long as it's Richard O'Brien hosting.

It'll be on right after takeshi's castle...

On a related note, TNA Impact is a lot like Takeshi's Castle.

Happy man, Freeview all the way. Just as long they won't cancel it like they did with Virgin 1.

The Medieval zone, the Aztec zone, Industrial zone and the Impact zone.

I'd hate to get an automatic lock-in in the Impact zone - being forced to watch Bully Ray and Devon.

I enjoyed Edward 'You can call me Ed' Tudor-Pole as presenter, he was so random but yeah Richard O'Brien kicked ass. Ed Tudor-Pole vs Richard O'Brien in a Crystal Dome match...BOOK IT!

On an other note...roll on next month for TNA on Freeview.

I always love the automatic lock-in games. I prefer Ocean than industrial. So what kind of match would they book on TNA's first showing? Mystery? Physical? Skill? Mental? 3 minute match and the winners face each other in a Crystal Dome match in the main event to earn the right to face the champion.

Challenge will be on Freeview from next month onwards.

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Thread has been Richard O'Brien'd. Oh yes.

Loving it. TNA 0 Crystal Maze 1

Are they getting the PPVs as well? I probably still wont watch but it might sway me if they do.

I think all TNA programming are on it including PPVs

Absolutely! I'm definitely with you if you're thinking about ordering a Crystal Maze PPV.

In all honesty, Challenge is a horrible channel for TNA to be on. I've only ever watched for an ironic half-hour of Wheel of Fortune, or stumbled in at two in the morning and watched Poker whilst downing gallons of water in a futile attempt to avoid a hangover.

It's not going to do Impact's reputation any favours being on the same schedule as 'Play your cards right' and 'Catchphrase'. They're not going to attract any viewers with the exception of those who are actively looking for the show. Better exposure will only be achieved through broadcasting on one of the sports channels (ESPN perhaps) or even a secondary terrestrial channel (Channel 5). Instead it's going to look like a second-rate show, on a second-rate channel.

Roy Walker as the new majority shareholder equals ratings gold!

It comes on Freeview on 1st February.

Roy Walker should have a Catchphrase segment on Impact. Say what you see.