TNA Wrestling could be gearing up for a massive transformation—and it might involve becoming part of the WWE and UFC empire under TKO Group. That’s the latest twist in the company’s pursuit of a $10 million-per-year television deal, according to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio.
Carlos Silva, TNA’s new president, has been making the rounds promoting their July 20 event while also teasing huge moves behind the scenes. On July 10, Meltzer revealed that Silva’s push for a new broadcast deal may go much deeper than just TV.
“Carlos Silva has been doing a lot of media this week because they’re trying to promote the July 20th TNA show — and he talked a lot about the company’s future. He said they’re looking to land a media rights deal in the next 60 to 90 days, and their goal is to get around $10 million per year.”
Silva is looking to secure a deal that would allow TNA to air live 52 weeks a year, while also bundling in pay-per-views—essentially modeling a package like WWE’s Peacock deal or UFC’s ESPN+ partnership. But the bigger bombshell was Meltzer’s reveal about Anthem Sports and the potential sale of TNA.
“He also acknowledged that Anthem Sports is not currently profitable and suggested it could be spun off from Anthem Entertainment and sold — either alone or with other assets.”
That’s where things get interesting. Meltzer referenced reports and insider conversations suggesting that WWE’s parent company, TKO Group, has already had internal discussions about acquiring TNA. This comes on the heels of WWE and TNA launching a talent-sharing agreement earlier this year, which may have laid the groundwork for something much larger.
“This lines up with the JohnWallStreet.com article, which outright stated that there’s speculation TNA could eventually be sold to TKO Group. And that is something I’d heard was at least discussed when the TNA–WWE talent-sharing relationship began earlier this year.”
If this sounds familiar, it should. WWE’s previous partnerships with Progress, ICW, and WXW included buyout options that never materialized. But Meltzer emphasized that TNA’s situation is far more legitimate, especially with a stronger infrastructure and wider reach.
“People forget this, but when WWE partnered with promotions like Progress, ICW, and WXW, they made similar deals where WWE had buyout options baked into the contracts. They never pulled the trigger on any of them, but that was part of the plan. TNA’s situation feels like a much more viable version of that.”
With Silva pitching a major deal and a possible sale to TKO on the table, TNA Wrestling may be on the verge of its biggest business move in years. Whether fans love or hate the idea, it could change the wrestling landscape all over again.
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