Which Canadian Station is a Feasible Landing Spot for TNA?

[Gee Hall]

Now that we know where TNA is off to for American television, I really have no idea if Canada is going to still have access to a national broadcast of the program. I can't see Roger's and any of it's channels even considering broadcasting the show since they are in bed with WWE and it's Network.

TSN got out of the wrestling game a long time ago (albeit, now that it has lost NHL broadcasting rights perhaps it's plausible). Even then, if they did pick it up, it certainly would not get a prime time slot. It seems unlikely that family of channels is much of an option either.

That doesn't leave too many options for TNA in Canada. The other networks are highly unlikely spots, so that pretty much leaves cable channels not affiliated with Roger's or Bell. What's left?

P.S. I'd rather see Lucha Underground before TNA, but would prefer to watch wrestling on television, not the computer.

[thelaw]

Doesn't TSN have 5 channels that sometimes show the exact same content on all of them? Sounds to me like TSN is looking for cheap content to fill all those slots. So why not TNA?

[Above Average Mike Sanders]

Nov 19, 2014 19:12:33 GMT -5 thelaw said:

Doesn't TSN have 5 channels that sometimes show the exact same content on all of them? Sounds to me like TSN is looking for cheap content to fill all those slots. So why not TNA?

I doubt it. TSN washed their hands of WWE long ago, they certainly aren't going to crawl in bed with a minor league outfit.

An obvious choice would be The Fight Network

Other than that, maybe Action, Bite or GameTV, would be a departure for them, but wouldn't be totally out of place given some of the stuff they air

[RKing85]

Strong rumors that TSN is going to be picking up the UFC deal in 2015 when Rogers drops it. I can't see them adding both UFC and TNA.

[groovyphoenix]

Here is the problem as I see it,

TNA is not WWE, and that's good for the fans, when it tries to BE wwe, it's BAD for the fans, but good for TV deals.

In order for the product to work and sell itself you need to give it it's own look it's own feel and it's own fan base.

If you watch the ratings war on WWE Netowrk when they show the ratings, you notice one thing, in that era, the fanbase didn't dillute as they feared, it grew, it grew leaps and bounds but that also had a different fan base, sure there was some cross over but most fans had their choice of product.

TNA trying to BE WWE is killing itself for demand and market if you ask me.

Lucha is going to work in their market because it offers a different flavour, and thats not a bad thing! Difference is what appeals and makes things work.

Problem is however TV networks think we all want WWE and don't want to take a chance on a different item.

One thing that would be super cool IMHO would be to see WWE produce a real network, not just WWE product but "Wrestling network" where people could purchase time slots or WWE would buy their product and show it, I think that would be amazing, NOT WWE controlled, just showing other product, it will never happen of course but it would be cool!

[thelaw]

TSN carries both the CFL and NFL. They carry the CFL exclusively in Canada. I actually watch the CFL, and it is not like the league is anywhere near the NFL money-wise. Montreal had about 18000 fans last week for the East Semi-Finals, and I suspect that will be about the number for the East Finals in Hamilton. Granted part of the reason why TSN wants to CFL is due to it being from Canada, but TSN actively wanted the whole enchilada during tv rights negotiations. Anyhow, I do not see why TSN should be that picky about content especially if people start complaining why TSN even bothered starting 5 channels if there is not always unique content on each.

[Andrew Sheehy]

I wish TNA would just go under.

[Above Average Mike Sanders]

Nov 20, 2014 13:42:48 GMT -5 thelaw said:

TSN carries both the CFL and NFL. They carry the CFL exclusively in Canada. I actually watch the CFL, and it is not like the league is anywhere near the NFL money-wise. Montreal had about 18000 fans last week for the East Semi-Finals, and I suspect that will be about the number for the East Finals in Hamilton. Granted part of the reason why TSN wants to CFL is due to it being from Canada, but TSN actively wanted the whole enchilada during tv rights negotiations. Anyhow, I do not see why TSN should be that picky about content especially if people start complaining why TSN even bothered starting 5 channels if there is not always unique content on each.

Not a very good comparison other... the CFL has a long rich history in Canada, and on TSN, draws pretty much the same viewer numbers as the NFL does in Canada, and doesn't have the stigma of being "pro wrestling". TNA has virtually no history in Canada, have a fraction of the viewers, and isn't just wrasslin', it seems to try to be a low-rent WWE... which isn't something you want when your competition has said WWE.

If TSN really wanted the rights to TNA they could have got the Canadian rights and either simsubbed over Spike or made them black out the live feed (as they used to do to Raw back when TNN/Spike had the US rights and TSN had the Canadian rights). Their sister channel RDS already shows show TNA in french, so it's not like they're unaware, they don't want them.

[aussieshark]

Australia in same position as Canada re TNA.

We all need to sit back and see what happens to around March, see how the TNA product is presented from there that will give indication if chance of being seen in either country

[Jimmy James]

TSN is owned by Bell who has been cutting back a lot of their broadcasting budget. And like Sanders said, TSN dropped WWE, I don't think they would go for TNA. Maybe Fight Network, or I could even see CityTV being a long shot. It might be on at two A.M. on a Sunday night, but that's what PVRs are for.

[thelaw]

Why would TSN introduce 5 channels if they are cutting their broadcast budget? Even with cuts, TNA is not going to cost as much as the WWE. Personally, I think TSN is looking for the best bang-for-the-buck programing rather than sticking to any philosophical reason. If this new TNA can deliver viewers, then I cannot see why not on TSN. Besides, I doubt that everything on TSN nowadays is significantly better than what TNA can provide.

[Above Average Mike Sanders]

I'm guessing TNA will not be aired in Canada before it's on TSN... but I guess we'll find out.

From the way there talked on last nights LAW, sounds like Discovery retains the international rights in any territory without an existing deal... and in Canada, there is no such deal and Discovery in Canada has an overall deal with Bell, which owns TSN. So if TSN had any interest, they'd certainly have first dibs to it if they want it.

I kinda doubt they do... based on that they could have picked it up long ago if they really wanted it.

They apparently did come close once back when they still aired RAW, even put out a press release announcing it (Oct 2004), but just as suddenly the deal evaporated. I wonder if WWE caught wind and somehow put the kibosh on it... but a couple years later TSN dropped RAW entirely and has never touched wrestling since.

[T Anthony Auld]

SHOWCASE ACTION!

Sandwiched between CSI: Miami repeats and the monthly Steven Seagal movie!

[RKing85]

TSN went to 5 channels to compete with Rogers who has I think 6 sportsnet channels.

Certainly TSN has the time available if they wanted it. But I highly doubt that we will be seeing TNA on TSN.

[deezy]

Why not Fight Network? They could use the content and they seem to need a platform. Too expensive?