Discovery-owned Indian pay-television broadcaster DSport has struck a rights deal with US wrestling promotion Impact.
As part of the deal, Discovery will air 12 monthly Impact Plus specials to audiences in India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Afghanistan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
The deal covers special events such as Sacrifice and Lockdown.
Pay-television broadcaster Sony Pictures Network is Impact Wrestling’s incumbent rights-holder in India, showing action on its Sony ESPN channel.
Ed Nordholm, president of Impact and chief corporate officer of Anthem Sports & Entertainment, which owns the promotion, said: “Impact Wrestling has always maintained a strong presence in India and the Indian sub-continent where our passionate fanbase continues to grow.
“With our volume of events increasing over the last two years, there has been more demand for exclusive and original Impact Wrestling content in the market. We are excited to be partnering with Discovery India to launch our monthly Impact Plus specials on DSport and look forward to continued international growth and expansion opportunities.”
Impact’s roster of athletes includes world champion Tessa Blanchard and UFC hall-of-famer Ken Shamrock. The promotion launched in 2002 and is televised in 120 countries.
In November, Impact signed a multi-year rights deal with South African free-to-air broadcaster e.tv. The deal covers more than 50 countries in sub-Saharan Africa and showcases the Impact! and Xplosion weekly shows, as well as four annual pay-per-view events.
Impact also holds rights deals with UK free-to-air commercial broadcaster Channel 5 and AXS TV in the US, while it has a presence on YouTube, Twitch and Pluto.