There has been a lot of talk recently about TNA programming being pulled from Destination America, and the Wrestling Observer Newsletter has reported that the “honeymoon” phase of their relationship is definitely over.
As we’ve noted, the network cancelled all extra programming including the “Greatest Matches” series, and the one hour “Unlocked” replay has been moved to Thursdays in the middle of the night, and will likely be dropped at some point going forward. You’ll recall, one of the big things Dixie Carter pushed when they were trying to get fans excited about the move, was that Destination America was a network that cared about their product, and was willing to commit to a lot more programming and timeslots than Spike TV ever had.
The problem is the same as with most pro wrestling content on television – it’s expensive to run. It’s true that Impact Wrestling is the highest rated program the network has ever aired, but it’s also the most expensive in terms of advertising revenue. USA has been facing the same issues with Monday Night Raw as of late, as NBC Universal paid big money in negotiations last year, and are now coming up with all these new campaigns and strategies to improve the cash flow. Ultimately, it’s more cash efficient for Destination America to cut the non-essential TNA programming and focus on Impact Wrestling and the west coast replay, as that four hour block is where all the money is going (and coming from).
Additionally, there seems to be a big creative difference in the relationship between D.A. and TNA compared to how things worked with Spike TV. Say what you will about their relationship with Spike, but it’s a network that understands pro wrestling and combat sports with the right audience for Impact. The folks at Discovery apparently don’t have a clue about wrestling – and why should they? – but are pushing for the company to push certain talents solely based on their appearance or name value (like Kurt Angle).
