TNA Wrestling announced a major media rights deal this week, striking a multi-year partnership with AMC Networks to broadcast their weekly, flagship TV show.
With WWE having a strong relationship with TNA and the fact that WWE also shares close ties with the Dolan Family, who not only own AMC but also control Madison Square Garden, speculation arose on how much influence, if any, WWE had on the TNA-AMC negotiations or even if WWE was involved in the negotiations directly.
TNA President Carlos Silva spoke to The Takedown On SI and shot down those rumors:
"No, we did all the negotiations ourselves with me leading the charge on the TNA side, and then [Creative Artists Agency] leading the charge as our representative and our partner on the deal."
"Look, WWE and NXT are very important partners to us. So we kept them in the loop. They knew what was coming. They knew about the deal before you knew about the deal. But no, they've got their own deals. They're very busy with their deals. So they let us go out and cut a deal and get on a major network. And I think they're happy for us. And we were happy with the way it went."
Another rumor that emerged yesterday suggested that WWE had an out-clause in their deal with TNA that they would be invoking now that TNA was set to begin airing on AMC in 2026. Silva also blasted that rumor down:
"Yeah, I don't even understand the wrestling community sometimes when things like this come out. We've all been in sports entertainment our whole careers. I mean, we're coming out with great news that TNA is on a major network. Everyone's been worried and upset and thinking that we need this. We get it done. And then the first report that comes out is that the partner that has been so great and that we've worked so well with over these last nine months, it's just really, frankly, it's a bunch of silliness. We have a great relationship."
"It's all going to continue. There's a lot of things in the works, working with at the top levels with both Nick [Khan] and Paul [Levesque] and then working with NXT with Shawn [Michaels] and Johnny [Russo], and [Jeremy Borash], and and so many others. Everyone's been great. So no, I have zero buzz or inkling around anything other than it being going great. And we're going to continue to keep the partnerships going strong."
