Spike, TNA Wrestling Extend Partnership

NEW YORK: Through a three-year extension of an existing partnership, Spike TV will continue to air Total Nonstop Action’s (TNA) weekly iMPACT! show through 2012, in addition to airing a new original series of one-hour TNA specials.

Each special will highlight some of the greatest bouts in TNA history, many of them never seen before on basic cable. TNA Entertainment will produce 10 hour-long installments. TNA iMPACT!, which airs every Thursday on Spike, averaged more than 1.8 million viewers a week during the second quarter of 2009. TNA Wrestling personalities include world heavyweight champion and Olympic gold medalist Kurt Angle, Sting, Mick Foley, "The Phenomenal" AJ Styles, "The Samoan Submission Machine" Samoa Joe, Booker T and the TNA Knockouts.

"With the tremendous success and record ratings we have achieved over the past three years, we are very happy to continue as Spike TV’s wrestling partner," said Dixie Carter, the president of TNA Entertainment. "We are excited to continue our relationship with the fantastic team that has supported TNA from the very beginning and look forward to even greater success with all of our TNA programming on Spike TV."

"TNA Wrestling has consistently delivered strong ratings in key male demographics and has continually grown its weekly audience," added Kevin Kay, the president of Spike TV. "In the past year alone, iMPACT! has seen a remarkable increase of 30 percent in overall growth. We are excited to not only continue but also expand our relationship with the world’s fastest growing wrestling organization."