Frankie Kazarian on new TNA TV deal: ‘It’s time to put up or shut up’
TNA World Champion Frankie Kazarian understands just how important the promotion’s new TV deal is.
It was announced on Tuesday that TNA and AMC have reached a multi-year deal to make AMC the new television home of Impact. Starting on January 15, 2026, Impact will be broadcast on AMC and AMC+ every Thursday. Kazarian discussed the news on Busted Open After Dark, saying being on AMC is a chance for TNA to show the world what the company is all about.
“I’m saying right now, now the work begins. A lot of work has gone into this, but it’s time to, you know, put up or shut up. It’s time to put our foot on the gas and really show the world, show a much bigger audience what TNA is all about and what we have been about for the past 20 years,” Kazarian said.
“AMC is a big, big player. And this is their first venture into the live sports avenue, but when you look at their scripted dramas they’ve had, I mean, some of the biggest shows of the last decade, two decades, when you’re talking about ‘Breaking Bad’ and ‘Better Call Saul’ and ‘Walking Dead’ and ‘Mad Men’ and all these incredible shows. So the bar is already pretty high for us, but I have full confidence in our team that we can give them something very, very special.”
Kazarian has been with TNA through many of the ups and downs the company has experienced. He’s excited to be on a platform like AMC — and he’s heard that AMC is just as excited to add TNA to its lineup of programming.
“AMC, from what I’ve [been] told and what I do know, the team there is beyond psyched to jump on board into this wacky world of pro wrestling and help us really present something unique and different,” Kazarian said.
The TNA World Championship changed hands last month when Kazarian defeated Mike Santana to win the title for the first time in his career. Kazarian’s plans for the first Impact episode on AMC have yet to be announced. With the episode, Kazarian is hoping that TNA is able to make viewers feel like they just watched something that is different than any other wrestling on TV.
“There’s so much in a very crowded marketplace right now in pro wrestling. If you’re a wrestling fan, it’s great,” he said. “But there’s wrestling on every night of the week. We have to step up and differentiate ourselves from everything else on television.”
Joseph Currier is the lead editor of F4WOnline.com, directing daily news coverage and writing articles on professional wrestling. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, obtaining a journalism degree in 2016. Joseph joined F4W during his time at UMass and has now been writing about the industry for nearly a decade.
In addition to his work with F4W, Joseph has previously contributed to Sports Illustrated's wrestling coverage. He lives in Massachusetts and is a diehard fan of the Boston sports teams and Liverpool Football Club.