on march 18, 2013, wallenda announced that he had come to terms with the discovery channel for television rights. abc also bid for the walk, but was concerned about the show being repetitive with the niagara walk and was not prepared to pay as much as discovery. additionally, discovery emphasized its international footprint and promised wallenda that he would not have to wear a safety device. after he came to terms with discovery, both wallenda and his network partners had to finalize permits with the navajo. according to a tribal spokesperson, the decision to allow the walk was not taken lightly. the process included archaeological, biological, and environmental impact studies.