Spike to hype TNA all day Saturday

[TNABaddboi 0]

This is from PWI:

 

Before TNA began filming Impact last night, they filmed close to a dozen segments that will be inserted into the UFC programming twice an hour this Saturday on Spike TV to build to TNA's debut. Spike is running a marathon of reality TV series The Ultimate Fighter from 4 PM-11 PM as a lead in to TNA, so expect the segments to be inserted there. Several segments were filmed before the live crowd last night. If you wish to be spoiled, feel free to check out the complete TNA spoilers for details on those segments. I haven't gotten confirmation either way yet if the inserts will be used during the UFC programming block this Monday 10/3 as a way to build to the TNA Impact replay that evening as midnight. Either way, this is a smart move by Spike although wouldn't it have been something if the inserts were airing this past Monday during Raw?

 

This is great for TNA. Though I think Spike is risking killing the UFC dead as a TV property with this overdose (5 hours on Saturday and then 4 more on Monday), I'm glad to see they are going to do everything they can to get that audience to stick around for TNA.

[Guest MikeSC]

The audience for those shows don't have a ton of crossover, though.

 

And I hope TNA watched RAW Monday. That is what happens to them if they ever upset Spike.

[Carnival 0]

Did anyone else catch any TNA commercials during RAW this week? I didn't see any. I figured there would be one every break, there was a UFC on every break instead.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

UFC is Spike's prized weapon, not TNA.

[Carnival 0]

UFC is Spike's prized weapon, not TNA.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Duh. So is that a "NO"? You didn't see any?

 

In the past weeks they've ran about 2 every RAW, and none this week? Doesn't make sense. They always have a UFC commercial every break so thats no different.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

I don't watch Raw. Sorry I couldn't be much help.

[Ripper 0]

The audience for those shows don't have a ton of crossover, though.

 

And I hope TNA watched RAW Monday. That is what happens to them if they ever upset Spike.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Upset them, as in telling people to watch another network a week from now? Everyone is jumping on Spike for this, but how exactly do we know that they didn't specifically ask the WWE not to mention USA while on their network, and they did it anyway.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

Ripper is right. WWE was actually legally barred from mentioning USA. So they in essence violated that. Spike was fully in their rights to do what they did, however how immature they came across...

[Guest MikeSC]

That no other network pulls that stunt indicates it is their problem.

 

They don't wish to renew the WWE's deal? So be it. Perfectly within their right. The WWE simply said where they'd be next week.

 

Again, USA didn't pull this in 2000 when far more people watched.

[Carnival 0]

If I was in spike's shoes, I'd censor any mention of USA too.

[justcoz 0]

If I was in spike's shoes, I'd censor any mention of USA too.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

It was just dumb. Spike was really banking on the fact that pro wrestling fans are dumb enough that when they'll turn the television set to Spike next Monday at 9pm and they don't see WWE that they will stay for UFC. Well, they won't. Like MikeSC said, there isn't much crossover there. They will look for WWE. There best bet to retain any of WWE's audience would have been to air the repeat of Impact! at 9pm and follow that up with a UFC special. Perhaps, just perhaps, an alternative wrestling product would have kep them from switching or noticing very quickly that it wasn't Raw. And they obviously don't know how Vince McMahon and WWE operate. Did they really think that McMahon would just stand by silent as they prepared this counter Monday night programming and Vince is shelling out about $20,000, probably more, for one shot names to appear to spike a rating? My opinon, WWE had every right to mention the switch to USA and it was ridiculous to censor them. Did WWE production cut back to live wrestling the moment a TNA or UFC commercial aired on Spike? Let's not forget that even prior to the announcement that Raw was going back to USA, the UFC commercial knocking wrestling as not being real was airing regularly during WWE programming.

 

I'd love to get excited about TNA on Spike but I'm not overly impressed with how they've been promoted so far. They had a month worth of ad time to insert nicely produced video packages to air during Raw, showing X Division action and random TNA superstar highlights and profiles. They didn't. That was the way that you introduce your 'pro wrestling audience' to your alternative wrestling product. Even something like airing a Best of TNA show following the last Raw. UFC is their prized weapon but it doesn't work in a year out/weekly format like wrestling does. I understand that there is more money to be made through UFC advertising but that's also very fickle. All it takes is one person complaining about the violence and advertisers will pull.

[Astro101 0]

I wish there were better commercials as well, but Spike was the ones who produced them.

[justcoz 0]

I wish there were better commercials as well, but Spike was the ones who produced them.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Exactly. This is why I'm not as optimistic about TNA's chances although I'm holding out hope that I'm wrong. There was a considerable amount of time between the announcement that TNA was coming to Spike and the final Raw on Spike to really present TNA to WWE's audience. I'm sure Vince and company wouldn't have appreciated this but so what. The commercials they aired were alright but Spike failed to introduce the TNA talent to WWE's audience. It would have been pretty simple to insert Dave Sahidi produced highlight reels of say Samoa Joe, Monty Brown, AJ Styles or the X Division with the announcement that these superstars were coming to Spike on October 3rd. I'm also sure that Sahidi would have been more than willing to produce some videos poking fun at his former company and hyping the "alternative". I'm just amazed that Spike didn't go this route but it really doesn't shock me as the channel has a poor history when you look at how ECW was fumbled (during a strong point in the business) and how little they did for WWE (although creative is mostly responsible for the ratings dive).

[RedJed 0]

Just because I dont want to read any results and angles for the Impact shows, and thus dont want to go into that thread at all, can someone just post the spoilers here for these commercial/segment insert details or whatever they are that was taped?

[TNABaddboi 0]

Just because I dont want to read any results and angles for the Impact shows, and thus dont want to go into that thread at all, can someone just post the spoilers here for these commercial/segment insert details or whatever they are that was taped?

 

I tried to do these with the spoiler designation, but I don't think I know how. So anyway, be forewarned. Red, here you go:

 

 

Before cameras rolled for the main show, AMW was brought to the ring by Borash and the crowd booed accordingly, calling them “Pussycat and Cowgirl.” AMW were dressed up for the occasion. Storm said since TNA had some free time before Spike TV launched they had some things to say. Storm called each and every person in the building “assholes.” Harris said there were some changes in TNA and AMW is the biggest one since they will not be performing for the office or the fans of TNA. Harris said for three years they gave the fans their heart and soul and they got nothing in return. Harris demanded the fans stand for the cornerstone of TNA Wrestling, Jeff Jarrett. During a promo that will air 10 minutes before the show on Saturday Raven rushed the ring to confront AMW and Jarrett but TNA security cut him off. In the ring Mike Tenay and Don West did another opening with Jeff Hardy that will air at 10pm before one of the shows. Shockingly Rhino and Abyss w/Jim Mitchell came out to confront Hardy but he too was stopped by security. Lastly they filmed another bumper, this one with Jeff Hardy, “Fallen Angel” Christopher Daniels, Raven, AJ Styles, 3 Live Kru, Tito Ortiz, Jeff Jarrett and AMW, Team Canada and Rhino all arguing or standing on a rampway.

credit: PWInsider.com

[RedJed 0]

Hmmm well while those segments dont sound extremely interesting its certainly different.

 

If anyone gets a solid schedule of when all of these extra segments will be running during the next few days, please post!

[TNABaddboi 0]

At about 5:45, they aired a plug from Monty. He put over the marathon and the UFC special on Monday, and then he said that the big one was at 11 when Impact debuted. And told everyone to stay tuned to feel the POUNCE! Eh, I'm sure if you didn't know who he was, you wouldn't care, but I'm a Monty fan, so I liked it.

[Fro 0]

So far these are all just different TNA wrestlers plugging Impact later tonight (and Ultimate Fight Night live in some of them). Some spots are 30-seconds and some are a minute.

 

There have been some with Tenay/West/Traci, Monty Brown, Tenay/West/AJ (on a box), 3LK, Team Canada so far.

[Fro 0]

There was just a really good one from Abyss and James Mitchell. And a very good promo from Rhino banging a locker, talking about how TNA is extreme and saying someone will get GORED tonight.

 

Another one from Chris Daniels. These are getting better as the night goes on (they're about about 10 after and 15 til every hour).

 

It's too bad they didn't do these during Raw .

[Fro 0]

Mike Tenay and Don West in front of the Impact Entrance plugging the show tonight.

 

Tito Ortiz walks into the shot

 

West; "HOLY @#$% IT'S THE HUNINGTON BEACH BAD BOY TITO ORTIZ"

 

Tenay: "and he's on Impact tonight!"

[RedJed 0]

Saw the Ortiz one, had no idea they would be airing the others so early - gotta give Spike credit here. Oh well hopefully someone has recorded them or I will be able to find them at a later date, maybe on the TNA website at some point, etc.

[cabbageboy 0]

Constantly pimping UFC over TNA is a bad idea that won't ever really pay off much for Spike. At least I don't think so. Ultimate Fighting is way too much of a cult type sport with limited appeal. As has been said, there is very little crossover appeal to wrestling audiences (I can't say I watch much of it). TNA could be a hit show for Spike if it was in a better timeslot and had the right promotion.

 

I think at some point TNA will get a better time on Spike, but for now they have to pay the dues and be a glorified Velocity on Saturday nights at 11.

[Fro 0]

In front of a "Live Crowd" now, nice crane shot, Tenay/West throw it to... Jarrett and AMW in the ring. Impact Zone looks awesome, production looks 10x better than the FSN show.

 

Jarrett has the belt and says watch Impact and see the title controversy in Canada. AMW is sort of dressed like the "Southern Justice" gimmick WWE did with the Godwinns.

 

"TNA" chants from the crowd as we go off.

 

BTW, the reason Spikes pimps UFC is because it's a real sport and thusly advertisers are more willing to sponsor it. It's got some prestiage to it.

 

Even though UFC may do less of a rating than TNA will eventually, Spike will make more money off UFC.

[Fro 0]

Next segment:

 

Tenay and West are in the ring and introduce Jeff Hardy as Hardy's music plays. Rhino runs down and security holds him back as Tenay/West hype the main event over the roar of the crowd.

[Coolclint 0]

And the last one just aired of all the major names (3LK, Jarrett/AMW, Raven, Rhino, Hardy, AJ, Daniels, and Tito Ortiz) standing in the arena as West/Tenay named them off.

[Fro 0]

Final Segment is the big stars entering through the entryways, which was the standoff in the tapings.

 

Just showing Rhino, Daniels, Jarrett, Team Canada, AMW, Jeff hardy, and Tito Ortiz coming out. They didn't show the standoff.