Anthem/GFW head Ed Nordholm was on Wrestling Observer Radio (subscription required) today and gave more details about the “Global Wrestling Network” streaming service that they are planning, and commented on GFW sale rumors.
Global Wrestling Network
The Global Wrestling Network streaming site will be launched next week, Nordholm said, and there will be a free tier and a pay tier.
The pay service will be $7.99 a month and will include 800 to 950 hours (of the company’s approximately 3,000 hours) of TNA/Impact/GFW footage.
The free tier will include episodes of Impact Wrestling 10 days after they air in the US on Pop.
Interestingly, Nordholm said that it would not just be an Impact Wrestling streaming service, and they hope to get different partners to sign on, hoping to make the service “an aggregation of wrestling content that isn’t related to WWE.”
“We do expect in the very near future to be bringing in our partners as well. It’s not branded an Impact app. We want it to be a generic place for AAA, NOAH, if we can persuade New Japan or anybody. We’ll have a plan, an efficient place for an aggregation of wrestling content that isn’t related to WWE.
“Most of the product will be in the pay tier. It’s hard to make the business work in the digital world off an ad-based product. There will be stuff available on the free tier, but you’ll have to go to the pay tier for the archives.”
A website for the service is still not available right now.
Sale Rumors
Nordholm also shot down rumors that Anthem was planning on getting out of the wrestling business and selling GFW, saying:
“We’re invested in this company. We’re growing it. We know it’s not going to turn around tomorrow.”
He also said that it does not make sense for him to sell the Impact tape library to WWE at the price they would likely pay for it right now.
“I know full well how the WWE Network would monetize the content and what they could pay for the library. It makes no sense for me to sell it for that kind of price. I’d rather keep it, put it up on the app, and monetize it myself.”
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