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So this is my first blog and it is aimed at a wrestling company. Impact Wrestling for years had great TV deals here in the UK but last year they lost their TV deal and did not get a new one and instead they decided to put their show up for free on YouTube but now even that is stuck behind a pay wall. Below is chart I made up of all channels/media companies that might take Impact Wrestling's weekly show and my assessment of their chances. First thing to say is that this my opinion and I am no TV insider and secondly I eliminated Viacom CBS, Showcase TV and Freesports as Impact has had recent deals with those channels that just hasn't worked out and eliminated BT as they have a long term deal with the WWE.
Any of these channels would be great but preferably Freeview would be better:
| Channel or Media company | Availablity | Chance of taking Impact Wrestling | Reasoning | Likely channel |
| Sporty Stuff | Sky and Freesat and through website | 80% | Sporty stuff is available on Sky and by going to sportystuff.tv but they do not seem to offer any on demand service so impact can still provide that through insidr and impact plus. Sporty stuff currently have a slot for pcw which slows classic matches rather than up to date stuff (Pcw up to date shows are on showcase TV sky 191 and on demand through sports channel network). Can't see why a smaller channel like this would not like a more up to date wrestling show than the one they currently have and it could get a few more eyes on impact than being on no UK TV at all would get." | Sporty Stuff |
| Discovery Northern Europe | Some Freeview channels other through most subscriptions | 50% | Most likely would be Eurosport but I would prefer Quest as it is Freeview and Eurosports is not free but is on most subscription based TV provider. Impact I vaguely remember being on Eurosport back in Fox Sportnet days and they are on Eurosport in lndia so if this is an avenue that would worth chasing and pitching it as "our stuff works on Eurosport in India it will work here in the UK too"" | Freeview - Quest Subcription - Eurosport (available on Sky, Virgin and BT) |
| Sports Channel Network/VOD 366 | Free streaming service available through Youview and Freeview play | 50% | Sports Channel Network is part of a free streaming service here in the UK available on Freeview boxes with internet and on Youview They currently show MLW and PCW but neither have had updated episodes in few months If they have another slot available for wrestling it something worth considering. | Available through Youview (Talktalk, Virgin and BT) and Freeview play |
| Narrative Capital | Freeview channel | 40% | Newer company which is expanding. Seems likely they will eventually expand into sports and if they do then impact should talk them. | Freeview - Great! TV |
| BBC/UKTV | Freeview channel and a few channels on subription services | 25% | Out of all the BBC/UKTV channels I would Dave is most likely as they have a history with MMA and wrestling would not be a big stretch but currently they don't seem to be showing any sport so not very likely but more of chance than a few on here. | Freeview - Dave |
| Amazon Prime | Subcription streaming | 20% | Seems unlikely as Amazon only have older wrestling and if they where interested in new wrestling I am sure we would have seen something by now but still a small chance as they show wrestling. | Subscription - Amazon Prime |
| Sky | Biggest subscription TV service in the UK | 10% | In Italy they run AEW so I would they will go for AEW in the UK if it becomes available otherwise probably no wrestling in my opinion. They do run the Freeview Channel challenge which successfully showed Impact for 15 ish years so maybe a small chance to go back to them and can advertise it as "coming home" | Sky - any Sky Sports channel Freeview - Challenge |
| Channel 4 | Freeview channels and All4 streaming | 10% | This one is unlikely as Channel 4 does not show much sport at all besides the Paralympics. They do have deal to broadcast some VICE shows and with MLW recently going to VICE in the US that it will be MLW they pick up if anything. | Streaming - All4 |
| A+E Networks | Freeview channel - BLAZE | 5% | BLAZE is A+E's only channel here which does specialize in men's programming (car shows, pawn shops etc) so wrestling is not out of the question but they do only seem to show A+E imports from the US so unlikely to Impact unless policy changes | Freeview - BLAZE |
| PBS America | Freeview Channel - PBS America | 5% | Like Blaze only shows programming from American counterpart and won't happen unless policy changes | Freeview - PBS America |
| ITV | Freeview channels | 1% | Are happy with AEW and will only consider if the lose the Dynamite broadcast | Freeview - ITV4 |
| Roku | Available if have a Roku device | 1% | Would be happy to take but seem to want to have the same shows no matter if you are in the our US or UK so likely not possible. | Roku Channel |
| Forces TV | Freeview channel | 1% | Made specifically for military and most shows are usually repeats of BFBS funded shows very unlikely but could happen if the channel feels wrestling is something people in the armed forces will watch. | Freeview channel - Forces TV |
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