Total Non-Stop Action Wrestling steps up its pursuit of the Indian market

This announcement comes hot on the heels of Total Non-Stop Action Wrestling (TNA) announcing that it was going to host three live events in Mumbai on three days starting from December 2. The last show, on December 4, TNA One Night Only, will be broadcast live around the world.

This live event will have a full roster and all of TNA's exciting talents and knockouts will be on display on that one night. The event is most likely to be held at the NSCI complex in Mumbai.

Prasana Krishnan, Business Head, Sony SIX and Sony KIX, broadcast partners of TNA in India, said that TNA was one of the fastest growing sports on their portfolio, “TNA has the maximum amount of viewership in India after cricket. Last year, according to TAM data, TNA shows were sampled by close to 90 million viewers in India. This event is a significant step as it gives them an opportunity to see it live because we want to develop a more active following.”

Some estimates show that pro-wrestling is the second most viewed sport in India, rivalling and sometimes exceeding the viewership numbers of football. As such, TNA's concerted drive in trying to capture a larger market share is very visible.

In terms of an Indian talent recruitment drive, TNA is taking significant steps. They first spotted Mahabali Shera at Ring Ka King, a professional wrestling promotion based in India, backed by TNA. Shera understands the magnitude of being selected for TNA’s main roster, “I understand that I am India’s main representative at such a global stage and I must strive to maintain this level of performance so that India’s talent can be recognized.”

John Gaburick, Executive Vice President of Television and Talent Relations for TNA, recently announced that TNA would be searching for a second big wrestling star from India to join Shera on the roster, “When I sent Kurt Angle here last year, we were lucky enough to strike gold in Mahabali Shera. If there’s someone like him, there’s plenty of others. I went to the Great Khali’s school in Punjab (Jalandhar) to look at the talent. We believe by exposing the world to Shera, we believe in exposing the world to India and its culture and the unique talent that it has to offer.”

In terms of numbers too, the appeal that TNA holds is significant and this is recognized by fans and broadcasters alike.TNA has a long-term deal with Sony SIX in place, which runs till 2022, and is worth approximately $60 million. Gaburick aptly explains the importance of the Indian market, “We plan on having a long term relationship, not just come for one day, put on a live show, leave and then come back after two years. We want to integrate ourselves into the market.”