Impact’s Barbed Wire Massacre is ‘too violent for TV’, will be exclusive part of their Twitch channel roll out

Twitch continues to get in the professional wrestling game.

Impact announced today (Jan. 16) they are partnering with Twitch to launch an Impact channel, set to start tomorrow. They will be airing the barbed wire match between LAX and oVe that was announced last week, now deemed “too violent for television”, this Thursday. That will happen at 10 pm, after Impact goes off the air on Pop TV.

There were rumblings last week about the match not airing on their normal U.S. broadcast home when Konnan tweeted the station was concerned about its violence.

If this were the plan all along, then it would make no sense for them to ever mention it being on TV. Their initial trailer said “first time on network television” (though Fight Network is reportedly showing it in Canada) and they had an article on the Impact website just yesterday which read: “it will be on this weeks episode of Impact on PopTV at 8/7c.”

If it this wasn’t always the plan and Pop really did deem it too violent, it makes me wonder why that wasn’t realized before they started advertising it for the station. This match was taped back in November, giving ample time for them to find out if the station is comfortable airing it.

Either way, it’s a bit disappointing. The match sounds fun but will probably get less eyes on it since it won’t be at their regular scheduled time or in their regularly scheduled place.

The Twitch channel in general is a good thing for the promotion. The gaming platform has been getting in the pro wrestling business more and more, airing of Triple A’s TripleMania last summer, and also Tommy Dreamer’s House of Hardcore shows.

Impact will have some original programming on Twitch, such episodes of Xplosion, a video podcast using the “Live Audio Wrestling” name from Fight Network with Jeremy Borash talking wrestling, a weekly show hosted by Fox News’ Tyrus, and some of their house shows. Also, they will air old episodes of Impact. They mention “pay-per-view events in a second window” but it’s not clear what that means regarding their occasional PPVs.

You can read all about the channel the press release below. And let us know in the comments if you’re turning into Twitch to check out Barbed Wire Massacre III.

TORONTO | SAN FRANCISCO – IMPACT Wrestling, a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment Corp., today announced the launch of a new channel on Twitch, the world’s leading social video service. IMPACT Wrestling’s channel (www.twitch.tv/impactwrestling) will feature a 24-hour live stream and exclusive weekly programming.

The IMPACT Wrestling Channel will launch on Wednesday, Jan. 17 with a 24-hour, 7-day-a-week stream of content that leads up to the debut of Barbed Wire Massacre III on Thursday, Jan. 18 at 10:00 p.m. ET immediately following the weekly premiere of IMPACT! on Pop.

The IMPACT Wrestling Channel on Twitch will feature exclusive content, including monthly live events and house shows featuring top stars in professional wrestling. The channel will also feature lifestyle programming showcasing IMPACT Wrestling stars outside of the ring – from diets and workouts to relationships and travel. Twitch will also air IMPACT Wrestling’s live event at WrestleCon in New Orleans, La. on Friday, April 6 at 9:00 p.m. CT. Other exclusive shows on the channel include:

Monday nights: Live Audio Wrestling (The LAW) returns with a new weekly video podcast. Produced and hosted by longtime IMPACT Wrestling announcer Jeremy Borash, The LAW will cover all of the latest news in professional wrestling and feature special guest interviews, live calls, chat interaction, contests with prizes, and much more.

Wednesday nights: Returning IMPACT Wrestling star Tyrus will host Nuff Said, as the Fox News contributor offers his unique take on professional wrestling, politics, sports and popular culture.

Thursday nights: At 8:00 p.m. ET, Josh Mathews will host Mathews’ Megacast with his irreverent second screen perspective on the flagship IMPACT! show Thursdays on Pop.

Programming for the channel will also include past and present episodes of the flagship IMPACT! show, the original weekly show Xplosion, pay-per-view events on a second window, plus over 1,000 hours of original programming showcasing classic content featuring household industry names like Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, Sting, Kurt Angle, Kevin Nash, Jeff Jarrett, AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, Bobby Roode and many more.

“Our expansion on Twitch marks another important milestone in our digital expansion,” said Ed Nordholm, president of IMPACT Wrestling. “The interactive content and larger-than-life personalities of IMPACT Wrestling are a perfect fit for the platform, whose passionate communities have demonstrated an increased appetite for professional wrestling and live events. As we adapt to new content consumption methods, our partnership with Twitch gives us an opportunity to interact directly with our audience, while engaging and growing our fan base across the world.”

For more information, visit www.impactwrestling.com.