NWA on Roku: FAST Channels, Fan Funnels, and the Real Stakes in 2025

It’s been a big few weeks for the NWA (National Wrestling Alliance - a pro wrestling promotion owned by Billy Corgan).

• Distribution deal with The Roku Channel

• Featured on a new Paramount-backed FAST channel with Women of Wrestling (W.O.W.)

• More homes, more reach, more visibility than they’ve had in decades

It’s fair to ask: Are they gearing up to challenge TNA?

More importantly—does this distribution strategy actually convert in 2025?

Let’s break down what matters: FAST, funnels, discovery, and depth.

What FAST Channels Actually Are (and Why Wrestling Loves Them)

FAST = Free Ad-Supported Television. Think cable—but streamed, frictionless, and free.

Platforms include Pluto, Roku, Tubi, Samsung TV Plus, and yes, even the wonderfully chaotic smaller players like Zone-ify.

For wrestling promotions, FAST checks all the boxes:

• Zero paywall

• Built-in ad revenue

• Platforms handle the heavy lifting

• Serious reach: Roku alone reports 80M+ active accounts

For a legacy brand like NWA, that’s meaningful scale with minimal overhead.

This is their biggest distribution moment since, honestly, Ric Flair.

The Real Strategic Catch: FAST ≠ Ownership

FAST is great for reach. But it’s terrible for control.

Here’s what you don’t get:

• No first-party data

• No meaningful fan analytics

• No direct re-engagement

• Revenue splits you don’t control

• A viewer experience you don’t shape

You’re building audience—but on someone else’s land.

WWE can do that. AAA can do that. NXT can do that. They already have massive demand and monetization engines.

But smaller promotions? This is where goals matter.

How Smaller Promotions Could Use FAST

FAST could be used as a top-of-funnel engine, bur not replacing the core business.

The ideal use cases:

• Tape libraries (cheap inventory, great for long watch-times)

• Shoulder content (studio, interview, recap shows)

• Older events & archive replays

• Promo content to sell the next PPV, live event, or subscription

Give away what you can afford. Monetize through the funnel.

At TNA, I pushed a more sophisticated version of this— not a FAST channel through someone else, but a FAST-like AVOD tier inside our owned streaming app, TNA+.

Why? Because if fans download your app, you get:

• Email

• Behavior data

• Retargeting opportunities

• Real conversion paths (tickets, merch, subs)

FAST gives you reach. AVOD + data gives you leverage.

So… Is the NWA/Roku Deal a Win?

Absolutely. It raises visibility, plants a flag, and announces, “We’re back in the distribution fight.”

What it isn’t is a complete strategy.

They’re renting reach, not owning fans.

To actually chase TNA, or anyone, they’ll need infrastructure:

• CRM

• Data ops

• Merch funnel

• Ticket integrations

• Fan analytics

• A direct subscription product

• Marketing automation

• Talent discovery & storyline strategy that rewards repeat viewing

In 2025, eyeballs aren’t enough. Conversion wins.

**Part II: What It Would Take for NWA’s Roku Era to Become a Breakout Success

Note: After my post last week, a lot of people asked:

“What would turn this into a runaway, high-fiving, breakout success?”

Let’s map it out.

Why Roku and Paramount Made This Deal

This is almost certainly rev-share, not big upfront money. Roku is hungry for content, especially after Netflix dropped $5B globally on WWE.

Pro wrestling is:

• Evergreen

• Cheap relative to return

• Global

• Easy to localize

• Easy to binge

• Perfect for broad, passive distribution

NWA brings a prestige brand willing to bet on growth to regain relevance.

Low-risk test for both sides.

The Real Challenge: Discovery vs. Depth

Discovery is brutal today. You can live on Roku, Spotify, YouTube, and still never be found.

But here’s the more important nuance:

Discovery without depth = empty calories.

Hits inside a platform rarely create real fandom outside it. The Atlantic nailed this describing Spotify:

“Hits rarely implied an active fan base outside the platform.”

Translation: Passive reach ≠ durable audience.

Even Roku-level reach won’t matter unless the NWA builds intensity, not just availability.

Bob Lefsetz says it constantly:

“Go deep, not wide.”

Morgan Wallen sells out stadiums, yet most of us can’t name his songs. But his core fans? They’re relentless.

NWA needs that.

What NWA Needs to Win This Window

Here’s the actual checklist for success, what I hope is in the deal:

1. Platform-Level Marketing Support

Home screens, carousel placement, notifications. Roku can move traffic. The question is: will they?

2. Smart Programming Strategy

Lead-ins. Tentpoles. Stacking. Multiple dayparts. Weekly 8pm on Roku is promising.

3. Prime Menu Placement

FAST lives and dies by how many clicks away you are from when a possible new viewer turns it on.

4. House Ads NWA Controls

This is a big win. If they can push viewers to:

• NWA socials

• Email list

• Merch

• Live events

• Subscriptions

…then the deal compounds.

5. A Conversion Strategy Outside Roku

If all the fandom stays inside Roku, the NWA stagnates. If they siphon fans out into their owned ecosystem, the brand grows.

My Take: A Strong Deal—But the Work Starts Now

This is a smart, opportunistic move. It outmaneuvered bigger companies with better résumés to strike first. It signals ambition and intent.

But if NWA wants to enter the real competitive conversation:

• Reach alone won’t cut it.

• Distribution alone won’t cut it.

• FAST alone won’t cut it.

They need infrastructure, a conversion engine and a fan journey they own.

Eyeballs help. Funnels win.