– WWE had no problem opening up their pockets when it came to offering deals to The Elite. According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, three out of four members of The Elite were offered contracts that lasted several years with seven figures being the annual salary.
It is not secret that WWE has shown interest and already sign the likes of Cody Rhodes, The Young Bucks, Hangman Page and Kenny Omega. At Ring of Honor’s (ROH) Final Battle, The Young Bucks gave a speech that could be considered a farewell. Days later, Hangman Page finished with ROH and Cody is also done with the promotion. Kenny Omega’s future is still up in the air and Marty Scurll is still under contract with ROH and New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW).
There have been lucrative offers from different promotions across the world, but The Elite and some of their top friends have not confirmed their next step. The past month has seen lots of talk of a new wrestling promotion starting up; going under the name All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Nothing has been confirmed, but Jim Ross and Chris Jericho have also been linked to the rumored company. Besides a new wrestling promotion, there is continued talk of holding another All In event.
No matter what happens, the beginning of January is shaping up to be a must see time for wrestling fans as many high profile contracts are up. Considering how WWE is bombing in ratings and with storylines that are turning fans away, this could be the right time to start another wrestling company. If the rumors of AEW are true, that could lead to many wrestlers in WWE, Impact Wrestling, NJPW, ROH and the Indy scene possibly looking for a new home.
– Impact Wrestling’s days on POP TV are coming to an end. Starting January 11, Impact moves to the Pursuit Channel on Fridays with a 10 PM EST start time.
Below is the official press release.
IMPACT Wrestling and Pursuit Channel Announce Broadcast Agreement to Televise IMPACT! Nationally Across the U.S.
IMPACT! to Premiere Weekly on Fridays at 10:00 p.m. ET on Pursuit Channel, Starting on Jan. 11
TORONTO | LUVERNE – IMPACT Wrestling, a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment Corp., announced today it has entered into an agreement to broadcast its flagship weekly two-hour program IMPACT! nationally across the U.S. on Pursuit Channel, the most widely distributed outdoor network and one of the fastest growing channels in the country.
Beginning on Friday, Jan. 11, featuring the aftermath of Homecoming, IMPACT Wrestling’s first marquee pay-per-view event of the year, IMPACT! will air weekly on Pursuit Channel on Friday nights at 10:00 p.m. ET.
“Pursuit Channel is a natural fit for IMPACT!” said Ed Nordholm, president of IMPACT Wrestling. “It has a passionate viewership base that correlates strongly with our core audience, and is one of the few broadcast destinations that is expanding its footprint, enjoying a 15% increase in broadcast distribution this year alone. With IMPACT Wrestling coming off a tremendous year of audience growth globally and positive fan engagement, we look forward to leveraging our respective resources to bring fans more of the wrestling content they want to see: tougher, edgier action.”
“Pursuit Channel is pleased to welcome IMPACT Wrestling into our Friday night lineup of popular shows,” said Rusty Faulk, CEO and founder of Pursuit Channel. “IMPACT Wrestling programming is perfect for our audience, which enjoys adventurous content to feed their wild side. We look forward to a long partnership and providing our fans with new and exciting world-class content while expanding IMPACT Wrestling’s audience to a new base.”
Showcasing top professional wrestling stars such as IMPACT World Champion Johnny Impact, who starred in the most recent season of the hit CBS show Survivor, plus Brian Cage, Eli Drake, Moose, Eddie Edwards, Sami Callihan, Pentagon Jr., Fenix, Rich Swann, the high-flying X-Division and the Knockouts, including Champion Tessa Blanchard, Taya Valkyrie, Rosemary, Allie and Su Yung, IMPACT! has been a leading destination for professional wrestling fans, televised globally in 120 countries since its inception in 2002, while growing its popularity and reach on YouTube, Twitch, Pluto and social media platforms.
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