Towards the end of 2015, Destination America announced it had cancelled Impact Wrestling. The networks highest rated show. After Bound for Glory in October, Impact Wrestling went off the air and took a few months to re-group. Instead of wasting time looking for a new network that could easily do the same in a year’s time, Impact Wrestling announced the launch of their very own streaming service, titled Impact on Demand, set for a March 2016 launch. The cost would only be $4.99 and would include weekly editions of Impact Wrestling as well as the entire back catalog of weekly shows, monthly and weekly pay per view events and even all previous DVD releases from the company. Some questioned why the venture was being delayed until March when they have show’s announced for the UK in January. The simple answer was TV rights. Impact Wrestling would not have been allowed offer the service outside of the United States before March as that is when the vast majority of their international contracts expire. The big exception is the recent Sony Six deal from India, worth an estimated $60 million. Come March, they can launch everywhere except India.
The money from the Sony Six deal was used to finance the launch of Impact on Demand, we well as making some major changes to the way the company was run. The biggest change is also one that is sure to anger the WWE as Impact Wrestling now considered all contracted talent to be employees, rather than Independent Contractors. This means all talent who took the new contracts on offer are now on a guaranteed monthly salary as well as bring provided with full medical care, assuming the injury occurs while working for Impact Wrestling, or one of their partners. Anybody who opted to remain an independent contractor can continue to work wherever they choose but are only paid per appearance, and don’t get the medical benefits. The vast majority of the roster switched to the new contracts without much debate. Those that didn’t, do so under the idea of not giving up their other bookings.
The promotions who signed up to work with Impact Wrestling as partners going forward are Jeff Jarrett’s Global Force Wrestling (GFW), Tommy Dreamer’s House of Hardcore (HoH), Asistencia Asesoría y Administración (AAA) from Mexico, Insane Championship Wrestling (ICW) from Scotland and the DJ Hyde owned duo of Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW) and Women Superstars Uncensored (WSU). Impact Wrestling did reach out to All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) but were unable to come to an agreement. AJPW are more focused right now on staying alive. Impact Wrestling were selling an alliance similar to what Ring of Honor (ROH) have arranged with New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) and Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) that benefits all parties involved, but AJPW still showed little interest and talks broke down.
With things suddenly looking a whole lot more positive for Impact Wrestling, they announced that all three nights of the Maximum Impact tour would be recorded and would then be the first three new shows to be added to Impact on Demand. In an attempt to generate a little extra buzz, Impact Wrestling announced that Zack Sabre Jr. would be appearing on all three events in the UK as he competes against Manik in a best of three series. The winner of that Series will be granted a future X-Division Championship match.