If NWA-TNA got a major TV deal...

[Guest Downhome]

...do you feel anything would really change? almost all of the shows have been so much better than RAW so far, with more than a few great matches taking place many of which were in my favorite matches in the entire year of 2002, but if they got a major TV deal, do you feel anything would change?

 

Would they be forced to insert more mainstream type angles in hopes to pull in more casual fans or new fans?

 

Would the quality of the weekly free TV shows be forced to lessen in quality, in order to make the PPV's (this being, if they even have PPV's) have a huge pay off?

 

Would they attempt to sign more big name guys like Goldberg or the such, in order to get more people to watch?

 

Or would they stay the same course that they have been doing, with a fine mix of great quality matches, a bit of old school, and a bit of new age talent involved?

 

Just some thoughts, as I've been thinking about this lately. It would certainly be better than ANYTHING WWE has put out lately, that is for certain in my view, my only question is this...

 

...what, if anything at all, would change?

 

Sincerely,

...Downhome...

[Guest geniusMoment]

First thing they would have to do is to make sure the deal gave them enough financial backing. ECW lost more money in 2000-2001 than in all previous years combined despite national exposure on TNN.

The deal would have to include a production budget that would enable TNA to produce major league shows weekly.

I still say go head to head with Raw on Mondays even though everyone here shot down that idea earlier. I still feel that is when a large group of wrestling fans are watching television. They flip around during commercials and when they see TNA they will stop on your show and might become hooked, especially if WWE just had a bad angle. If your product is compelling they will change the channel more and eventually stay on your station.

People say the show would get slaughtered, well guess what if its on during a night when a lot of mainstream wrestling fans aren't watching it will get a low rating just like ECW did.

[Guest Downhome]

First thing they would have to do is to make sure the deal gave them enough financial backing. ECW lost more money in 2000-2001 than in all previous years combined despite national exposure on TNN.

The deal would have to include a production budget that would enable TNA to produce major league shows weekly.

I still say go head to head with Raw on Mondays even though everyone here shot down that idea earlier. I still feel that is when a large group of wrestling fans are watching television. They flip around during commercials and when they see TNA they will stop on your show and might become hooked, especially if WWE just had a bad angle. If your product is compelling they will change the channel more and eventually stay on your station.

People say the show would get slaughtered, well guess what if its on during a night when a lot of mainstream wrestling fans aren't watching it will get a low rating just like ECW did.

Some damn fine points there. I thought I was the only one who felt that they should go head to head. It would take time, but eventually people would flip through and realize there is a world beyond WWE.

[Guest El Satanico]

I don't think they would change that much. They already mix in normal "mainstream" storylines.

 

X Division could survive just like WCW's Cruiser Division which never had any complex angles. So I wouldn't expect the X Division to change at all.

 

I think the biggest change if they get a major TV deal with good financal backing would be them being able to have more full time wrestlers. Sign guys to actual contracts instead of flying them in for a show or two. This would mainly affect the X Division and it would be a good change.

[Guest eirejmcmahon]

They'd have to cut back on the use of bad language but otherwise, I wouldn't expect to say any other changes in their product.

[Astro101 0]

I think going head to head with RAW is a good idea, although they could get a bit more fans if they were on say, Saturday or staying on Wednesday. TNA would appeal to the wrestling fans who don't buy the PPV and plus, they are more "serious". They don't really cater to the young demo...more like the older people.

[Guest crandamaniac]

Gotta say no to the idea of them having a show on Saturday. Most people aren't home Friday-Sunday, so anything on T.V is going to get real low ratings. I'd say put it on Wednesday like the PPV's and keep it at that.

 

If they do get a TV deal tho, what would happen to there PPV schedule?

[Guest snuffbox]

If NWATNA gets a major tv deal...I might actually start watching pro wrestling on television again. Would be nice....

[Guest Insanityman]

Well, I doubt they would put on an annual weekly show as most the fans would just rather watch the recaps on television. (Because, obviously, not every WWE fan buys the PPV). Not to mention I'd be estatic, sorry I digress. They might have to cut down on lanague and, dare I say, work rate? Because if they injure a few major players that could really do some damage. Not to mention they have to have a solid money income to pull this off.

 

Here's hoping for the best.

[Guest RobJohnstone]

Right now I don't feel they are ready for a mainstream tv deal. Once they develop talent like a jason cross or a david young among others, maybe. Right now every week they bring someone in who is not needed, this week it was koloff, last week it was rhodes. Next week will they bring in Ivan Koloff and reform the russians? They have all the talent in the world but russo is killing it. Aj styles is leaps and bounds ahead of everyone for the full package. If they develop everyone like they did with him, and cut out this fake nwo nonsense, then they can move to bigger and brighter things.

 

--Rob

[Guest Pegasus Kid]

I think they could handle television but the show would have to be overhauled from a booking standpoint to make it work. One of the problems with TNA is that they blow their load on matches every week. This is of course a necessity when your only medium is PPV but if they were to get regular TV, their booking mentality would have to switch to "less is more" and build to PPV's rather than run title match after title match every week. Before you cite WWE doing the same thing, they actually build to the money match (at least they do most of the time) so it works. So yeah... less is more would be the best way to go.

 

Oh yeah; Saturday is the WORST night to put on wrestling. No one in the key demos are home (if they have a semblance of a social life at least). No major network will give wrestling a Monday night timeslot but TNA would be fine running on Wednesday nights as there's nothing major on that night (is there? I don't watch TV outside of wrestling, sports and Simpsons so I might be out of the loop on this) so the wrestling fans would be happy to watch.

[The Dames 0]

Tuesday is LOADED with hot prime time shows and Monday or Thursday would be direct competition with WWE. Friday and Saturday are always bad times for wrestling. Sunday could work but then you're a victim of the HBO shows and WWE PPVs. Looks like Wednesday is their only solid time slot possibility, but what would that do to their PPVs? Would they scale it down to one a month or what?

 

Dames

[Guest Downhome]

I still believe that the best dirrection is to go head to head, and simply wait it out over time, a year perhaps, for more and more WWE fans to discover their product.

[Guest Pegasus Kid]

I can't agree with that. WWE is having enough problems trying to pull down between 3.4 and 3.7 on a Monday night and they're top dog in wrestling. There's no way a network is going to give up an hour or two of prime time on a Monday so a company only people in Tennesee and folks on the Internet have actually heard of can compete with the #1 promotion that's already looked down upon by the masses anyway.

[Guest dreamer420]

I would love to see TNA get a TV deal and run a weekly show. I'm pretty sure they have a deal to air one PPV weekly which could be trouble for any possible TV deals but I think that deal expires in June. If TNA can get a deal setup by June and then only have one PPV per month I think they would be a serious contender to the WWE.

[Astro101 0]

One pay per view a month would be too much. I think maybe only 4 a year would be better. More buildup, no rush, but of course they shouldn't shove feuds down our throats. Plus, just like the title belts, it would make the PPVs more special.

[Guest CoreyLazarus416]

Hell, make a PPV out of the annual NWA Anniversary show, and you already got one out of the way.

 

I say no more than 6 PPVs a year, bi-monthly, a la ECW's PPV shedule in '99 (January, March, May, July, September, November). It'd help build the product, and give 8 weeks of television between PPVs. Have 3-hour PPVs, sell 'em around $20 a pop, and you could have a good formula.

 

Okay, so the day of the week is in question, so I think I'll bring up a new question into the mix: What network would be ideal?

 

Cable-only networks, like FX or TNT, have their drawbacks, as there are less people. But common networks, like FOX or NBC, usually have higher morality rates and already usually have programming for every specific night of the week without having to throw on a movie.

[Guest Tony149]

The network that mostly pops up with fans is the USA Network due to them already having carried a wrestling program, and the fact they stay with WWE even though they were getting their ass kicked by WCW.

 

FX or Fox Sports Net are also two other choices. Problem with FSN, the show would probably never have a steady timeslot due to all the sports programing in all the different areas. TNT & TBS are question marks (thanks to S & P) depending on what type of a show Jerry Jarrett wants. FX & USA seem to be the only networks where TNA would be allowed to do most of their PPV like stuff.