Latest On How TNA Is Doing Financially

[Chunk 0]

They might find they can make more money by turning it from a wrestling show to a weekly two hour ICP skit show.

Number of fans - 1

 

If that happens.

[BoboBrazil 0]

I'm actually the one that suggested starting this board. Noone else wanted it started at first. People were saying they wouldn't last two months and be out of business by August.

[The Thread Killer 0]

I can't be the only person who read this and said "Wow...they have a plan to at least lose LESS money..."

 

Nope. I think the one taped show is a GREAT idea, since as others have said, it will force them to book at least one good show a month, since spoliers will be available, and will avoid ordering it if it sounds like it sucks.

 

Before, people like Syxx2001 would sit here all night arguing in favor of TNA...now there's just apathy. For a while, there were huge OAO TNA threads...now maybe 1 or 2 people contribute, if ANY. Meltzer reports a huge dropoff in feedback too--they are clearly losing buyers.

 

Companies exist to make money. As soon as Panda realizes that this little venture will never make money, they will pull the plug.

 

That's not true. I, and at least a couple of other TNA fans I know stopped posting here because of Dave O'Neil: Asshead. I wasn't going to get into an argument with some idiot every week who didn't even watch the damn show, yet seemed to think he knew how things were going from reading The Torch.

 

I love TNA, and I would love to discuss TNA with other fans, but I'm not going to get in flamewars with people who don't even WATCH the show, yet still seem to think they are qualified to make judgments on the quality. I have not watched the WWE since Summerslam 02. This is why I don't post in the WWE folder here. I wish people who don't buy TNA would follow the same idea.

 

Having said this, I am not a blind TNA mark. They make mistakes, and lots of em.

 

I thought having Shane with the X belt as long as he did was insane. He's okay at best, and with guys like Sabin, Ki, and Daniels around...you just DON'T give a guy like him that long of a reign, I don't care if he's Shawn Michaels cousin, or Lou Fucking Thez's illegitimate lovechild. He ain't that good.

 

There is no denying that the whole Mantell experiment has failed. When he came in, and people were blaming every little problem on him about two seconds after he got hired. I gave him time, and I have not been impressed with what I have seen. I think old Dutch does need to go, or pull his head out of his ass. One of the two. The only think he did smart, was realize that people hate Jeff Jarrett, even though he is in his home state, so stop trying to make him into a face. People KNOW he runs the comapny, and they KNOW that he's an ass, so he stopped giving him the Jesus Face Push, and made it okay to hate him. Think about it, Vince Russo's last show was really the show when he stopped playing tweener, and went full on heel.

 

Let's be honest, the only reason Russo took a backseat and Mantell came in, was to appease Hogan. Hogan wouldn't work with Russo, so Jarrett and Son had to get somebody else to write. At least it wasn't Gilberti.

 

As soon as Russo got involved again, you saw improvements in the continuity, segments, and overall flow to the show. His whole "Crash TV" approach makes for compelling television, as long as he has Jerry Jarrett to keep him in check, and stop his more ridiculous ideas. If not, I'm sure Lolipop would be X Champ by now.

 

January was a shit month, but there has been a big improvement this month. I think with Panda's money, Jerry Jarrett making sure things don't get too insane booking wise, and Russo doing a lot of the writing with input from some of the talent, TNA still has the potential to be a success.

 

This whole "They're losing money, they have two weeks to live" and/or "Panda is losing money OMGLOL" shit is so STUPID.

 

FIRST: As it has been pointed out elsewhere, when a big company has diverse interests, it can actually be an ADVANTAGE to have one division LOSE money. Why? Two words: TAX BREAKS.

 

Companies that open a new business arm and lose money can be elligible for huge tax breaks and small business loans and other financial incentives. It is not even unheard of for a company to deliberately lose money in order to GET these breaks. Panda might be losing money on TNA NOW, but in the long run, or April, they will still make out okay.

 

SECOND: A lot of people don't seem to understand that TNA doesn't need to clear a zillion bucks to be a success. They only run one show a week. Their talent is not exclusive to their payroll, meaning they are not the sole support for these guys. They don't bear full responsibility for a guy's full time work, like the WWE does. If they clear even an infantismal profit on that show, they can keep going for quite a while. Look at all the other SHIT that gets on PPV. If the Lingere Superbowl and fluff like that can get on, TNA can stay.

 

THIRD: A lot of companies don't make ANY money for the first 3-5 years. There are always the exceptions, especially with hi-tech stuff, but most small companies don't take off right away. TNA might go tits up, but just because they are barely at the break even point right now doesn't mean that they will. It won't take a miracle to keep them afloat.

 

FOURTH: The whole "companies only exist to make money" argument is stupid. Any business man with half a brain could take a look at the pro wrestling industry, and tell that it is NOT in a financial upswing right now. Time/Warner just dumped WCW for NOTHING, so Panda knows that they ain't going to get rich quick...or ever.

 

This means one of TWO things. Either they need and WANT TNA to lose money (just not all of it) or they actually LIKE wrestling and want to be in the wrestling business, regardless of how long it takes them to make a profit.

 

Why do people open their own small business? To make money? Sure, but also because they have found something they LOVE, and want to do it all day, for a LIVING?

 

Has it ever crossed anybody's mind that MAYBE just MAYBE the people at Panda who sunk the dough into TNA did it because they KNEW they could afford it, and they actually LIKE the idea of being in the wrestling business?

 

People loving wrestling, and wanting to do it for that reason?

 

Nah, couldn't be.

 

The bottom line is this: TNA isn't perfect. Sometimes, they even SUCK. However, at least they are TRYING, and I applaud them for that. Also, they are showcasing young talent like Sabin, and many others, including international guys now, who would NEVER get exposure otherwise.

 

This is why I will continue to shell out my 10 bucks every week, and to hell with everybody who doesn't, or gets them for free, but then sits here and hopes the company fails.

[The Ghost of bps21 0]

A couple things to comment on from the thread:

 

1. Dave O'Neill was banned...so you can come back now.

 

2. Say what you want about ICP...but they are the only people on the roster that you can actually claim with any certainty are bringing fans in to the Asylum.

 

3. The people running Panda Energy probably didn't just buy TNA on a whim (and if they had they'd have been dropped already). These probably aren't stupid business people. They had to know going in that it was a long term project...and I believe Dixie Carter has said as much when they bought TNA.

[Chunk 0]

2. Say what you want about ICP...but they are the only people on the roster that you can actually claim with any certainty are bringing fans in to the Asylum.

I dont dispute that they are bringing fans to the Asylum, but they dont really interest me personally.

 

I also find it annoying that they will chant I..C..P no matter what is happening in the ring. Be it Goldy turning on Watts, Leon/Abyss or an actuall ICP segement etc, they will chant the same damn thing throughout.

[AnonymousBroccoli 0]

I also find it annoying that they will chant I..C..P no matter what is happening in the ring. Be it Goldy turning on Watts, Leon/Abyss or an actuall ICP segement etc, they will chant the same damn thing throughout.

Webster's defines the phenomenon as The "What?" Factor.