Eric Bischoff Says Carter Family Ego Killed a Potentially Transformative Viacom Deal for TNA

Eric Bischoff has some pointed words about one of the most significant missed opportunities in TNA Wrestling’s history — and he’s placing the blame squarely on pride.

Appearing on his 83 Weeks podcast, Bischoff recalled pitching Viacom on the idea of purchasing an ownership stake in TNA during the promotion’s run on Spike TV. His reasoning was straightforward: Viacom had already poured significant resources into building the UFC’s profile on Spike, only to watch the promotion walk away. Bischoff argued that owning a piece of TNA would protect Viacom from repeating that mistake.

“Why does Viacom buy into TNA? So you don’t have the same thing happen to you that happened with the UFC,” Bischoff said. “Why not own a piece of TNA?”

According to Bischoff, the network showed genuine interest — but the deal never got off the ground. He contends the Carter family, who owned TNA at the time, were unwilling to cede any degree of control or open their financial records to outside scrutiny.

“That was such a huge missed opportunity, and it was because of ego,” Bischoff said. “The Carters didn’t want to have to answer to Spike or to Viacom or show anybody their books. That’s my personal opinion.”

Bischoff went on to connect the failure of that deal to TNA’s eventual financial crisis. He noted that TNA Dallas, the parent company behind the promotion, ultimately cut off its funding entirely and left TNA to sink or swim on its own.

“TNA Dallas, the parent company, basically shut off funding for TNA and said, okay, you’re going to make it on your own, or you’re not going to make it,” Bischoff said. “We know how that turned out.”

The comments offer a candid — if one-sided — look at the internal dynamics that shaped TNA’s turbulent history. Whether or not the Viacom deal would have changed the company’s trajectory is impossible to know, but Bischoff clearly believes the opportunity was there for the taking.