SiriusXM has announced the launch of the Pro Wrestling Nation 24/7 channel that will be dedicated to covering the professional wrestling domain. This new offering is an expansion of the success emanating from Busted Open, the daily wrestling show hosted by Dave LaGreca featuring industry legends such as Bully Ray, Mark Henry and Tommy Dreamer. The show first launched in 2009, and it has become one of the preeminent programs in the country for wrestling fans to hear news and analysis pertaining to the sport. LaGreca signed a new multiyear agreement with SiriusXM this week through which he will stay as the lead voice of the show.
“I couldn’t be more excited,” LaGreca told Joe Reedy of the Associated Press. “I really owe it to our fans. They’ve really been dedicated and asked for this for years. It’s a dream come true to actually see it form. And now, it’s about to happen.”
The daily wrestling program is going to lead off the lineup on Pro Wrestling Nation 24/7 with a live episode broadcasting seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. EST. For the ensuing two hours in the early afternoon, wrestling analyst, podcaster and SiriusXM host Sam Roberts will anchor Notsam Wrestling Live every Monday through Thursday. ESPN New York and HOT 97 host Peter Rosenberg will present an extended edition of Cheap Heat during this timeslot on Fridays, expanding his presence in the realm of combat sports.
Jonathan Coachman takes over from 2 to 4 p.m. EST as the host of Off the Ropes that includes a rotating cast of current and former wrestlers serving as co-hosts, some of whom include Nic Nemeth, Tommy Dreamer and Tom Pestock. Other wrestling stars will take part in the network lineup as well, including Natalya Neidhart hosting a weekly segment on Thursdays during the third hour of Busted Open and weekly appearances by Matt Cardona.
A replay of Busted Open will air at 4 p.m. EST, and the nighttime program, Busted Open After Dark, is expanding to five nights a week with a rotating cast featuring Tommy Dreamer, Bully Ray, Mark Henry, Denise Salcedo and others. In addition, the Busted Open podcast will continue to be available across major podcasting platforms.
“We’ve seen the popularity of ’Busted Open’ grow through the years to the point where the show – now one of the most prominent wrestling shows in audio – is bursting with great talent and content,” Jared Fox, senior vice president of sports programming, content marketing and partnerships and artist relations for SiriusXM, said in a statement. “We’re thrilled to be re-signing Dave to another extension that will ensure he’s the face and voice of ‘Busted Open’ for years to come, and we’re really excited to expand on what he’s started.
“The appetite for wrestling content continues to increase, and we’re able to uniquely meet the demand of those fans by delivering a new 24/7 channel just for them. We have a long track record of building dedicated sports channels that fans love. Pro Wrestling Nation 24/7 will be the next great SiriusXM sports channel, producing compelling and exclusive new content daily and giving fans a place to call in and let their voices be heard as well.”
The new offering will officially take the satellite radio airwaves on Tuesday, July 1 on SiriusXM channel No. 156 and accessible within the SiriusXM app. This marks the first-ever 24/7 channel devoted to covering professional wrestling, and it takes place amid several other sports-focused enterprises and SiriusXM Mad Dog Sports Radio continuing their presence amid the complete oeuvre of content offerings.
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