>>8577255Only because AOL was determined to kill it. There was a group with Bischoff that had agreed to buy WCW, but the very same day that the AOL/Time Warner merger was completed, and with Ted Turner no longer in charge, TBS boss Jamie Kelner announced that the Turner networks were moving away from sports in general, and said that wrestling would have no place on the new TNT (the "We Know Drama" rebranding was rolled out around the same time). Unable to find a new broadcaster on short notice, Bischoff's investors pulled out and the deal ultimately collapsed shortly before the final Nitro, allowing Vince to swoop in and grab all of the the IP.
Ironically, the planned new direction for the Turner networks was never fully realized, because major cable carriers balked at carrying the new "TNT Plus" channel which was intended to absorb all of the remaining Turner Sports programming.
