Impact Wrestling Copies Me, Starts Twitch Channel

[Rayne]

Oh, come on. I'm not going to post about Impact without throwing a tiny bit of shade their way. Link to an article for the sake of linking: http://uproxx.com/prowrestling/impact-wrestling-twitch-partnership-channel/2/

The channel will have a few pieces of produced content specific to Twitch, but appears mostly to be a vehicle for airing old TNA/Impact content.

Analysis? This is as good a move as any they could make right now. Impact has audience exposure problems; they're airing to an audience that already knows where they are, and don't really have any outlets with which to gain new customers. (Unless you're the kind of person that both has PopTV and browses through it. I'm guessing the Venn diagram between that and professional wrestling fans is a pretty small space.) Given the current state of the company, a streaming arrangement with Hulu or Netflix is likely off the table. Twitch is, itself, slowly trying to move into more pre-produced content, so the move isn't as bizarre as some may initially believe. The cost of production for Twitch is as minimal as you're going to find, which checks off another important box for Impact.

On the flip side, Twitch will not be a revenue generator for Impact, but a lead generator. Impact has to find a way to take any viewers they get on Twitch and move them off of Twitch. To where- I have no idea. Impact doesn't appear to have any significant revenue streams at the moment. Their Twitch channel can only be a building block, not a foundation.

But that being said, if you're an Impact fan, now you'll have a way to watch Impact content whenever you want.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

Part of me doesn't really understand why you'd want this and the GWN app, but I suppose the GWN app gives you complete control over the content, where the 24/7 stream of content from Twitch is just that. I was actually watching some of it earlier. Kinda fun to go back in time like that.

I think the big win here is the fact Twitch is relevant. They need all the relevant partnerships they can get.

 

[Richard Blonoff]

Part of me doesn't really understand why you'd want this and the GWN app, but I suppose the GWN app gives you complete control over the content, where the 24/7 stream of content from Twitch is just that. I was actually watching some of it earlier. Kinda fun to go back in time like that.

I think the big win here is the fact Twitch is relevant. They need all the relevant partnerships they can get.

I think you answered your own question. There are a fair number of streaming sites, most that aren't exactly broadcasting legally, that play wrestling almost 24/7, but outside of live broadcasts of shows, they don't have much of a set schedule. With the GWN you can pick and choose what you want, when you want. With the Twitch channel, it will be hit and miss.

That said, Twitch has been throwing some money around lately. They just paid 90 million to get the exclusive broadcast rights to the Overwatch League for the next two years and look to be a major player in the emerging esports world.