NBC Buys Trackwrestling

TrackWrestling has been aqcuired by Sports Engine, which in itself is a new addition to NBC. Several questions will be immediately raised by Wrestling fans, and I sure as hell don't have the answers. 

TrackWrestling & FloWrestling got in to a bit of an altercation last year when Flo complained they weren't allowed to compete for certain contracts (aiming a lot of their frustration at the NWCA). Of course, both companies wanted to continue to grow their brands first and foremost but the Wrestling world was concerned about two entities suing each other instead of working together. 

NBC Sports, which has become more of an Olympic sports arm of the giant network that owns the rights to broadcast the Olympics, was able to successfully get Olympic credentials repealed for FloSports when FloTrack & FloWrestling were accused of broadcasting video from Olympic Trials of both sports while NBC owns exclusive rights. Flo's president wrote a statement mostly rebutting the allegations. 

In the year 2016, live streams are how Wrestling fans watch most of the wrestling they see. I've watched a lot of wrestling in the past calendar year, but only a few times were actually on broadcast television (a couple duals on Big Ten Network basically). Live streams are not some exclusive technology so as long as entities are allowed permission they can appear from several different organizations. As a wrestling fan and general cheap guy, I have feared that paying subscriptions to a bunch of different websites will discourage people from watching more wrestling. Of course, it'd be great if every open/tournament/dual was free for companies to live stream but organizations will sell broadcast rights because in the adult world money is useful. 

It'll be interesting to see how this plays out. Live streaming events is a new vehicle in the history of sports viewing and growing pains can be expected. I just want to watch more wrestling and have access to more brackets.