Anthem Sports Exec Working on "Even Larger" Distribution Deal for TNA
Rob Kligman joined Anthem Sports Group as Chief Revenue Officer in June.
TNA was gearing up for a massive resurgence at the tail end of 2023 leading into the new year. With plans to reintroduce the TNA brand to fans after transitioning from the "IMPACT" name and an unforgettable Hard To Kill pay-per-view in January, it seemed like TNA was finally getting back on track to its glory days. Several new stars had signed with the company and it appeared that their partners were more than happy with the way things were going. Former TNA head Scott D'Amore parted ways with the company after allegedly trying to buy it out, which made for a rocky road for many of TNA's stars with an allegiance to him. Still, Jordynne Grace appeared in this year's Royal Rumble which strengthened the relationship with WWE that has now opened many more doors for the wrestling company.
Rob Kligman, Anthem Sports' Chief Revenue Officer, recently spoke to EssentiallySports' Think Tank about the trajectory of TNA and where the brand is headed. The newfound relationship has seemed to benefit TNA in a lot of ways, which they are hoping to ride the momentum of into an "even larger" distribution deal.
"We both [WWE & TNA] have historical realms behind each brand. The brands both can speak for themselves and stand for themselves," Kligman said. "Right now, the difference really is the distribution mechanism that WWE uses to push their content out versus what TNA does. Right now, we're focusing on getting that distribution even larger than it is for TNA. But that's the big differentiation point; the production is the same quality and the content is the same quality, [but] the difference is the distribution.
So that's one of the big reasons why I came on board was to help the distribution, work with our team internally at TNA and lock in an opportunity for the fans to see it worldwide and that's our ultimate goal but right now, that's where we see the differentiation point between World Wrestling Entertainment and TNA. It's simply distribution, because when you look at the content, the production — like I said earlier — is spot-on and the content and the characters are spot-on so, once we get that distribution deal, I think you're gonna see a little bit more of an even keel between both organizations."
In December TNA partnered with Endeavor Streaming to launch its subscription based service TNA+ where all of their original programming is being housed. As for a distribution deal, they are currently airing on AXS TV which they have been doing for quite a few years but it limits their visibility greatly as many people have moved away from traditional cable in favor of streaming.
Stay tuned to Comicbook for updates on TNA.
