TNA issued the following press release this morning:
TNA WRESTLING SIGNS MAJOR TELEVISION DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENTS IN SPAIN AND PORTUGAL
TNA Wrestling, the world’s fastest growing producer of televised wrestling programming, today announced agreements with one of Spain’s leading terrestrial broadcasters, Antena 3, and Portugal’s leading sports broadcaster, Sport TV, to exclusively licence its programming in Spain and Portugal respectively. This will substantially contribute to TNA’s rapidly expanding European presence, which includes recently signed agreements in UK (Bravo) and Germany (Premiere). RDA TV is TNA’s exclusive worldwide television rights agency and negotiated these agreements.
Antena 3 has acquired TNA programming in a landmark deal that will see TNA iMPACT – TNA’s weekly flagship programme – air on terrestrial television in Spain on Saturdays and Sundays starting 21st June. Antena 3 is Spain’s 2nd largest commercial network. Neox, owned by Antena 3 and Spain’s leading digital channel, will air TNA PPVs and TNA’s library of classic PPVs and iMPACTs.
TNA’s television and merchandising rights in Spain were acquired earlier in 2008 by Luk International, the Barcelona-based media rights agency. Luk will be supporting the launch of TNA on Antena 3 with a substantial marketing campaign in a bid to make TNA the premier wrestling brand in the country, including a dedicated Spanish-language TNA web site at www.tnawrestling.es. Luk will also shortly launch a range of TNA merchandise.
Sport TV, Portugal’s leading pay-tv sports broadcaster, reaching 570,000 subscribers, has acquired over 200 hours of TNA programming in an agreement through 2008 and 2009, and will mark the first occasion TNA programming has aired in Portugal. TNA iMPACT! will air on Friday nights at 10pm on Sport TV3, beginning on Friday 6th June 2008. Sport TV3 will also exclusively air TNA’s monthly pay-per-views, just three days after their live recording, beginning with Slammiversary on Wednesday 11th June.
Dixie Carter, President, TNA Wrestling, commented, “In the next 12 months, TNA will emerge as the dominant wrestling brand in Spain and Portugal. We are delighted to be working with two of the leading broadcasters in Europe, and thrilled to bring our unique form of entertainment to our Spanish and Portuguese fans.”
TNA Entertainment, LLC is a privately held company headquartered in Nashville, Tenn.