Tag: Impact

Impact Wrestling Signs Katie Forbes

Impact Wrestling has signed Katie Forbes to a deal.

Women’s Pro Wrestling Weekly sent word that the indie wrestler, actress and model revealed on their show that she has inked a deal with Impact.

“Yeah, so they let me be me, and I can embrace it. So, you all will see a lot more of that because starting today, I’ve just signed with Impact,” Forbes revealed on the show, which you can see below or download via iTunes at this link.

Forbes’ boyfriend Rob Van Dam is currently working with Impact as well.

Forbes has worked for several promotions, including ROH and WOW Women of Wrestling. She worked a WWE tryout in 2015 and has also worked as an enhancement talent.

After appearing earlier in the year, Forbes made her official Impact singles debut on last Friday’s show. She faced Jordynne Grace, as seen in the video below. Also below are a few more shots of Forbes, including her and RVD backstage at WWE RAW earlier in the summer:

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Impact Wrestling Preview 10/11/19

Tonight On Impact at 10p.m. ET on PursuitChannel & Twitch:

* oVe (Jake Cris & Madman Fulton) vs. Tessa Blanchard & Daga

* Moose vs. Stephan Bonnar

* Impact Knockouts Championship: (C) Taya Valkyrie vs. Havok

* X-Division Championship Ladder Match Qualifying Match: Eddie Edwards vs. Ace Austin

Impact Wrestling Preview 10/4/19

The road to Bound for Glory continues this Friday at 10p.m. ET with a new episode of IMPACT on PursuitChannel and Twitch.

* Callihan Repercussions are coming, but will they be delivered by Brian Cage or IMPACT Management?

* Michael Elgin vs. TJP w/Fallah Bahh

* X-Division Championship Ladder Match Qualifying Match: Daga w/Konnan vs. Chris Bey

* Kiera Hogan vs. Tenille Dashwood vs. Madison Rayne

Impact Wrestling Preview 9/27/19

Impact tonight at 10p.m. ET on PursuitChannel & Twitch:

* Qualifying Match for X Division Championship Ladder Match at Bound for Glory: Tessa Blanchard vs. Dave Crist

* Madison Rayne vs. Tenille Dashwood

* Shera vs. Cousin Jake

* The wedding of Brian Cage and Melissa Santos

https://twitter.com/IMPACTWRESTLING/status/1177583678492303360

Impact Wrestling Announces Move To Tuesday Nights On AXS TV

Not only does Impact have a new home for their TV show starting next month, the company has now announced they’ll also be moving from Friday to Tuesday night on AXS TV.

According to the press release:

AXS TV, the exclusive U.S. television broadcast home for IMPACT Wrestling, one of the world’s pre-eminent professional wrestling organizations, today announced IMPACT Wrestling will launch on the network on Tuesday, Oct.1 at 8pE/5pP.

Leading up to the debut of its flagship weekly show IMPACT! on October 29, AXS TV will showcase IMPACT Wrestling’s critically acclaimed pay-per-view events of 2019, broadcasting each of Homecoming (October 1), Rebellion (October 8) and Slammiversary XVII (October 15) in their entirety and hosted by Executive Vice President Scott D’Amore and the voice of IMPACT Wrestling Josh Mathews. Finally, on October 22, THIS IS IMPACT! will serve as a launchpad for the promotion’s AXS TV debut, featuring a preview of the weekly series, profiles on IMPACT Wrestling’s biggest stars and exclusive non-televised matches from BOUND FOR GLORY, IMPACT Wrestling’s biggest pay-per-view event of the year to be held on Sunday, October 20 in Chicago.

As we previously reported, Impact’s parent company Anthem Sports and Entertainment acquired a majority interest in AXS TV back in September. The company announced a few days later that Impact would be moving to AXS TV — the home of NJPW in the United States and WOW.

For those keeping track, yes … this means Impact will occupy the time slot previously held by SmackDown Live once the show moves to FOX.

Source: Pro Wrestling Sheet

Impact Wrestling Preview 9/20/19

Tonight on Impact airing on Pursuit and Twitch:

* Shera vs. Cody Deaner

* The Final match for LAX: LAX vs. Rich Swann & Willie Mack

* No DQ: Havok vs. Su Yung

* Street fight: Ove vs. RVD, Tessa Blanchard, Tommy Dreamer & Rhino

* AAA (Australian Suicide, Arez & Toxin) vs. The Rascalz

Scott D’Amore And Don Callis Talk AXS TV Acquisition, Possibly Working With NJPW And WOW

This past week, Executive Vice Presidents of Impact Wrestling Scott D’Amore and Don Callis spoke with Chris Jericho on his podcast, Talk Is Jericho, about their new deal with AXS TV and what they’re goals are going forward in October.

Recently, Impact Wrestling’s parent partner Anthem Sports & Entertainment made the biggest purchase that has ever happened within their business. Anthem Sports & Entertainment officially announced that they acquired a majority interest in AXS TV, meaning that their weekly show will now move from the Pursuit Channel to AXS.

Now that the sky’s the limit for Impact, Callis believes that this new deal will not only increase viewership among fans, but it will also draw in wrestlers who are looking to work for a different promotion that is tied to a big cable network.

“I think that one of the things that’s been to our benefit so far has been that the talent that we talk to will say ‘hey I watch your show. I think it’s way better than what I see from WWE. I love your show. It’s one of my favorites shows on TV. I love how you guys book,'” Callis said. “We’ll also hear things like ‘I heard you guys have a great locker room,’ which we do. We’ll also hear I love the roaster and the talent. The one-piece I think that wasn’t really spoken about was that a lot of people thought yeah, but the platform. Yeah, but the stability situation. This past week, we solved both of those issues. I think now, there’s no holding back.”

Some are quite worried that Impact will steal the thunder of the already existing wrestling shows like WOW- Women of Wrestling and New Japan Pro Wrestling that air during the weekends on AXS TV. D’ Amore assured those listening to the podcast that they will not steal the spotlight from the other promotions instead, they would like to work with these promotions in the future.

“Our philosophy has been very clear for two years now,” D’Amore begins. “We are willing to embrace an open market. We’re willing to partner and do business with a large variety of partners in the wrestling industry. NJPW and WOW are both properties on AXS. New Japan has a great following. WOW just started a new season and new episodes are being filmed next week out in California. I think it’s business as usual from a network’s perspective. But when you look at it from our perspective, certainly, there are some synergies that can be taken advantage of and explored with the other wrestling companies that share the same television platform.”

Jericho followed up the statement from D’Amore and asked Callis if he would still be working with New Japan Pro Wrestling on commentary after Impact moves over to AXS TV. Callis has been a part of the announce team for NJPW since 2017.

“I guess from my perspective, I never really formally stopped,” Callis answered. “I mean, a lot of it frankly in their defense has been based on my schedule, which has been busy. I know that clearly. You (Jericho) had tweeted about it last year that there was a period of time where they thought they could easily replace me on commentary, because I was expensive, and would only come in one day at a time. I know they tried a few guys and there was a tremendous backlash and then they asked me to come back for the Tokyo Dome, which I did partly because you (Jericho) were going to be on the show, and Kenny, and obviously we’re all very close. I’ve been back four times this year.

“I think for me the sweet spot in terms of going overseas is maybe five or six. I’m not really far off from that. With as busy as Scott and I have been, I haven’t given it a thought. So, I’d say, the old Sean Connery line ‘never say never.’ I won’t say that it’ll never happen, but it definitely has to be under the right circumstances, and it has to be the right situation for me announcing wise.”

It’s been rumored that Impact will begin airing their weekly show sometime after their big pay-per-view event Bound For Glory on October 20th. Jericho asked if there is a finalized date that is set in stone for Impact to officially air.

“No,” D’Amore answers. “So far, we’ve announced that this is coming up and that it’s going to premiere this fall. We’re finalizing the details. Obviously, there’s a lot of things to work through. We’re excited to make our debut this fall.”

You can listen to the full interview by clicking here.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Impact Wrestling Preview 9/13/19, Operation: Override 9/13/19

Tonight on Impact airing on Pursuit and Twitch at 9pm ET.

* Unbreakable Michael Elgin in action

* Ove (Sami Callihan & Jake Crist) vs. Tessa Blanchard & Tommy Dreamer

* Big Mami & Nino Hamburguesa vs. Desi Hit Squad

* Dr. Wagner Jr. vs. Texano Jr.

* Ace Austin vs. Eddie Edwards

 

Impact wrestling presents “Operation: Override live tonight on Twitch at 7pm ET. from the Comanche County Fairgrounds in Lawton, Oklahoma

* The North vs. The Step Brothas

* Moose vs. Hawk

* KO Championship Fatal 4-way: Rosemary vs. Desiderata vs. Kiera Hogan vs. Taya Valkyrie

* Michael Elgin vs. Fuego Del Sol

* Chavo Guerrero vs. MVP

* Rich Swann vs. TJP vs. Rohit Raju

* Street Fight: Sami Callihan vs. Eddie Edwards

Impact Wrestling Officially Announces Move To AXS TV

Impact Wrestling has confirmed their weekly show will be moving to AXS TV.

As we previously reported, Anthem Sports and Entertainment — the parent company of Impact — recently purchased a majority stake in AXS TV.

Impact will begin airing weekly on AXS TV following the Bound For Glory pay-per-view, which takes place on October 20th in Chicago. The show will continue to simulcast globally on IMPACT Wrestling’s official Twitch channel.

“Impact Wrestling is a perfect fit for AXS TV’s slate of live sporting events and combat sports content,” said Impact Wrestling President Ed Nordholm. “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.”

Impact Wrestling currently airs on Friday nights on Pursuit. Impact did not officially announce if the show would continue to air on Fridays.

Impact Parent Company Anthem Purchases Majority Interest In AXS TV, Steve Harvey On Anthem’s Board

Anthem Sports & Entertainment announced today that they have acquired a majority interest in Mark Cuban’s AXS TV and HDNet Movies.

There have been rumors on Anthem purchasing AXS for a few months now, and now those talks have been confirmed.

Longtime comedian and actor Steve Harvey has joined Anthem as an investor and strategic partner through his Steve Harvey Global production company. Harvey now has a seat on the Anthem board.

Anthem, the parent company of Impact Wrestling, will assume daily operations of the two channels. Wrestling promotions New Japan Pro Wrestling and WOW (Women of Wrestling) currently air on AXS.

Stay tuned for updates on Impact Wrestling and their programming moving to AXS.

Below is the full press release from Anthem, which includes comments from Cuban and Harvey:

ANTHEM SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT TO PARTNER WITH AXS TV FOUNDER MARK CUBAN; ACQUIRES MAJORITY INTEREST IN AXS TV AND HDNET MOVIES NETWORKS

AEG REMAINS ACTIVE PARTNERSTEVE HARVEY GLOBAL JOINS ANTHEM AS INVESTOR AND STRATEGIC PARTNER

Deal Expands Anthem’s Reach to Nearly 150 Million Households, Creating a Major New Force in Entertainment, Music and Sports Programming

TORONTO | DALLAS | LOS ANGELES – September 9, 2019 – Anthem Sports & Entertainment, a global multiplatform media company, today announced it has acquired a majority interest in HDNet LLC, parent of the widely distributed U.S. television networks AXS TV and HDNet Movies, and will assume operating management of the two popular channels that cater to music, sports, entertainment and lifestyle audiences. The deal also includes AXS TV’s extensive library of owned programming, including wrestling, MMA and entertainment content.

The two networks add significantly to Anthem’s rapidly growing portfolio of content, which is currently available in 120 countries and includes diverse and popular sports and entertainment programming targeted to passionate communities with a focus on millennial viewers.

“We are very excited to add these two successful channels to our portfolio,” said Leonard Asper, CEO, Anthem Sports & Entertainment. “Anthem was founded with a mission to deliver compelling, targeted content and experiences to passionate fans globally on the platform of their choice. The music, sports and entertainment communities served by these channels are a natural extension and perfect complement to our existing properties. The addition of AXS TV and HDNet Movies will allow for increased content ownership, digital expansion and even more compelling programming for consumers and our distribution partners.”

Mark Cuban and AEG will continue to participate as equity partners, and AEG Global Partnerships, AEG’s advertising and sponsorship sales unit, will continue to support the channels in conjunction with Anthem’s sales team.

Joining as an investor is entertainer, producer and businessman Steve Harvey, who will also enter into a strategic agreement for content development and promotion of Anthem’s portfolio of channels. Steve Harvey Global will have a seat on the board of directors of Anthem.

Anthem’s board of directors will also include Ted Goldthorpe, head of BC Partners Credit, a lead financier on the acquisition; Rick Ehrman, a former senior executive at Univision and NBC Universal; Robert Foster, founder and CEO of Capital Canada; Scott Honour, founding principal of Northern Pacific Group; and Loudon Owen, chairman and CEO of DLT Labs.

“Anthem’s combination of targeted brands, enthusiastic audiences, operational expertise, international footprint and vision makes them an ideal partner to take AXS TV and HDNet Movies to their next levels,” Mark Cuban said. “Given Anthem’s portfolio of premium content and complementary programming networks, we could not ask for a better home, and we are looking forward to the results we will collectively generate for this new partnership.”

“My team and I see great opportunity in Anthem,” Steve Harvey said. “They have incredible shows, experiential entertainment, and a huge reach. We look forward to collaborating with Anthem on content development that will surprise and delight this newly expanded audience.”

AXS TV and HDNet Movies will continue operating from their existing facilities in Denver and Los Angeles, and the combined company will include Anthem’s playout and production center in Toronto and production facilities in Nashville and Europe.

“Anthem Sports & Entertainment brings a legacy of delivering boundary-breaking programming that perfectly aligns with our programming strategy and global concert venue and music festival assets,” said Charles Hirschhorn, President, AEG TV. “The combination of these television networks with Anthem creates global video destinations for ‘must see’ event programming.”

With this transaction, Anthem channels are now estimated to reach nearly 150 million global TV homes, including more than 110 million MVPD-served TV households in the U.S. and Canada. In addition, Anthem’s proprietary content is distributed to more than 160 million global TV homes through licensing agreements with some of the world’s premier networks. Anthem’s networks and content also are available on nearly every major streaming service and digital platforms.

Anthem has offices and studios in New York, Toronto, Los Angeles and Nashville, and in Europe. Its portfolio includes:

* IMPACT Wrestling, one of the world’s largest wrestling entertainment properties, creating more than 300 hours of original content annually across television and other digital platforms. IMPACT Wrestling specializes in premium content, pay-per-view events, products and merchandise, as well as the management, promotion and training of professional wrestlers;

* IMPACT Plus, a multi-platform mobile app and digital subscription video-on-demand platform and one of the newest additions to the Anthem family of services, featuring live monthly premium network specials, instant access to the 3,000-plus hour IMPACT Wrestling library, groundbreaking original series, reality shows, documentaries, and exclusive events from international partners;

* Fight Network, the world’s premier combat sports channel, dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports including fights, fight news and the fight lifestyle as well as mixed martial arts, boxing, kickboxing, professional wrestling, traditional martial arts and more. Fight Network produces and owns its own library of fight themed documentaries and interview programs and is delivered to more than 43 million TV homes in the U.S., Canada and more than 15 other countries;

* GameTV, featuring game show formats and programming, both current and past; reality, drama and documentary series; feature films; sports-based games including esports, poker, and card-based games; and live sporting events – all delivered to more than 8 million television homes throughout Canada. GameTV also features online cash and social gaming through igamestv.com;

* Game+, a cutting edge, millennial-targeted sports and entertainment channel, featuring sports-wagering programs, esports events, news and information, fantasy sports programming, high stakes poker, and other action-driven shows and lifestyle programming. Game+ is distributed in more than 1 million MVPD TV homes in Canada and the US; and

* Pursuit Channel, one of the top outdoor channels in the U.S, offering outdoor enthusiasts diverse programming from calm freshwater fishing to fast-paced deer and waterfowl hunting. Pursuit Channel is available to more than 35 million TV homes in the US served by cable, satellite and IPTV. Through its app PursuitUP the channel is also available on OTT streaming services.

AXS TV is a leading music, entertainment and lifestyle channel, including live concerts and sports events, originally founded as HDNET by Mark Cuban in 2001. The channel was rebranded in 2012 after partnering with AEG, leading to additional music content development. The network’s current programming lineup features live concerts and events, music-themed information and reality programming, live wrestling and MMA, and off-network runs of popular music-themed programming. The network is distributed to more than 50 million homes.

AEG includes AXS TV as part of its own sponsorship portfolio, bringing many AEG partners to the network.

HDNet Movies, available in approximately 12 million U.S. homes, features theatrically released films and documentaries presented in high definition, including a variety of iconic classics and award winners spanning the 1950s to 2000s.

Source: Wrestling Inc.