Following its Oct. 20 pay-per-view event, “Bound for Glory,” Impact Wrestling is moving its weekly pro-wrestling show “Impact!” to AXS TV. The move was widely expected after Mark Cuban sold his majority stake in AXS to Impact owner Anthem Sports & Entertainment earlier this week.
We do not yet have a day and time for “Impact!” on AXS, which is also the home to New Japan Pro Wrestling and WOW – Women of Wrestling. The two-hour “Impact!” will continue to simulcast globally on Impact Wrestling’s official Twitch channel.
That time slot announcement is coming soon, we’re told.
In January, “Impact!” left Pop for the Pursuit Channel, an outdoor-focused network that was never the best fit — nor did it have the best distribution. Pursuit was technically available to 35 million homes; AXS distribution tops 50 million.
“Impact Wrestling is a perfect fit for AXS TV’s slate of live sporting events and combat sports content,” Ed Nordholm, chief corporate officer of Anthem Sports & Entertainment and president of Impact Wrestling, said in Thursday’s news announcement. “The newest addition to our growing portfolio of media assets, AXS TV’s audience perfectly aligns with our passionate Impact Wrestling fan base, and this move increases the reach for our weekly program with distribution in over 50 million homes.”
“We could not ask for a better home and are excited by the opportunities to work with Mark Cuban and Anschutz Entertainment Group, our partners in AXS TV, to bolster Impact Wrestling’s presence in the market, as we continue to deliver action-packed and innovative weekly programming featuring some of the most athletic and gifted stars in the professional wrestling industry,” Nordholm continued.
Brian Cage is the current Impact World Champion. Other key members of the pro-wrestling promotion’s locker rooms include Rob Van Dam, Rhino, Moose, Eddie Edwards, Sami Callihan, Rich Swann, Michael Elgin, Gail Kim, Tessa Blanchard, Taya Valkyrie, Tenille Dashwood, Rosemary, Madison Rayne and Su Yung.
Impact used to be known as TNA, or Total Nonstop Action.