Source: Miami Herald
It’s official.
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling announced Olympic gold medalist and former WWE star Kurt Angle has signed exclusively with the company.
TNA iMPACT! will also move to 9 p.m. ET/PT Thursdays on Spike TV starting Nov. 16. A special two-hour show will kick off the move which is for a one-hour weekly show at 9 p.m. ET/PT Thursdays.
”This has been a huge week in our company’s history,” said Dixie Carter, president of TNA Entertainment, LLC.
“The signing of Kurt Angle and the move of iMPACT! to 9 p.m. are both significant benchmarks in the growth of TNA. The history of pro wrestling is marked with events that change the landscape of the industry, and I believe that this week will be viewed in that context.”
Angle, a two-time NCAA Division I champion and a three-time NCAA Division I All-American, capped off his illustrious amateur career by winning a gold medal in freestyle wrestling at the 1996 Olympics, competing with two cracked vertebrae, two herniated disks and four pulled muscles.
On Nov. 14, 1999, Angle made his on-screen debut with the World Wrestling Federation. Since then, the five-time WWE champ has held every major championship belt in the company. He was inducted into the National Amateur Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2003.
”Kurt is considered the greatest wrestler in professional wrestling [today],” added Carter. “His in-ring ability is matched only by his leadership and attitude. We are thrilled Kurt is joining the TNA family, and we look forward to a long, successful relationship.”
Angle said: “Being with TNA feels like I found my home. TNA will be the most watched show on cable TV. It’s just a matter of time. Thank you TNA for saving my career, my life and my desire to do what I love.”
• TNA also announced it will premiere in primetime on Spike TV starting Thursday, Nov. 16 with a two-hour extravaganza from 9-11 p.m. ET/PT.
TNA will be seen weekly 9-10 p.m. ET/PT on Thursdays, with encores continuing at 11 p.m.-midnight ET/PT Saturdays.
”We’ve been impressed by TNA’s growth,” said Kevin Kay, general manager of Spike TV, “and the acquisition of Kurt Angle continues to show us that wrestling fans, as well as professional wrestlers, know that TNA is the place to be and now primetime on Spike TV is the place for them to be.”
After 20 telecasts in the Thursday 11 p.m. ET/PT timeslot, TNA iMPACT! is averaging a 1.0 HH rating, with a 1.1 in M18-49, a 1.3 in M18-34 and an average audience of 1.1-million viewers.
Compared to YAGO in that timeslot, TNA is up +137% in HH, +211% in M18-49, +244% in M18-34 and +157% in average audience.
Among ad-supported cable channels in the time period (11 p.m.-midnight, ET/PT), Spike ranks No. 1 in M18-49, No. 1 in M25-34 and No. 2 in M18-34.
• The new wrestling alternative, TNA delivers a distinct brand of high-risk, athletic entertainment.
TNA’s roster includes new, fresh talent like A.J. Styles, Samoa Joe, Christopher Daniels, LAX, Bobby Roode, Monty Brown, Abyss, AMW, Ron Killings, Senshi, Eric Young and Petey Williams along with recognizable stars such as Sting, Christian Cage, Jeff Jarrett, Team 3D (Dudley Boys), Konnan, Rhino, Norman Smiley, Raven, James Gang (New Age Outlaws), now Kurt Angle and others.
TNA features the innovative six-sided ring and the high-flying X-Division, as well as concept matches such as Ultimate X, King of the Mountain and Six Sides of Steel.
TNA also displays the best finisher in wrestling today — the Canadian Destroyer by Petey Williams.
• TNA Entertainment, LLC is a privately held company headquartered in Nashville.
The names of all Total Nonstop Action Wrestling televised programming, talent names, images, likenesses, slogans and all TNA Wrestling logos and trademarks are exclusive property of TNA Entertainment, LLC.
All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
• Spike TV is available in 90-million homes and is a division of MTV Networks. MTV Networks is a division of Viacom International Inc.
