TNA sets record with 1.9 million viewers

[The Ghost of bps21 0]

The observer site reprorts that Impact set it's new record last night with 1.9 million viewers last night and a 1.3 rating.

 

PWInsider and various others have also picked up on a Roode interview from a canada that confirms he signed a new contract...for an unbelievable 5 years.

[BruteSquad_BRODY 0]

Scott Steiner's promo last night was gold

[Scroby 0]

The observer site reports that Impact set it's new record last night with 1.9 million viewers last night and a 1.3 rating.

Good for them, it's about they got more numbers especially since last night was a pretty good show. I doubt they'll keep it up, plus this means that Vince Russo is gonna get a hard on and start writing up more shitty angles and gimmicks that will lower the numbers back to normal.

[The Ghost of bps21 0]

I figured they had a shot at doing a better than usual number because the whole show built towards something for a change...and the clearing out of the Impact Zone was pretty unique TV. I enjoyed bits of last nights show (BMI's challenge and the match was good, the clearing of the arena and I liked the Sting/Angle fight too)

[LuckyLopez 0]

I definitely enjoyed that show more than I have Impact in quite awhile. There were iffy or bad parts of the show but nothing that outright sucked. The wrestling was solid/good. As said the whole show built to the main event but without overpowering things. The rest of the card was still able to have its issues and carry a little importance to their stuff even if it had nothing to do with the Mafia. And I did more or less enjoy the fight.

 

The ending just really fizzled the whole thing out for me. After a good build and a good fight I expected a pin or someone beat down or a turn or something. But they were basically at the same place they were at the start of the show/end of last week's. Felt like a poor payoff to a good show.

[DarKnight 0]

Scott Steiner's promo last night was gold

 

You gotta love how Joe has been made to look like a fool since his return rather than being scary and making the MEM afraid of him. I love that Nash made fun of him last week too, as I thought he looked like a goof too when I saw his new look.

 

[The Ghost of bps21 0]

I definitely enjoyed that show more than I have Impact in quite awhile. There were iffy or bad parts of the show but nothing that outright sucked. The wrestling was solid/good. As said the whole show built to the main event but without overpowering things. The rest of the card was still able to have its issues and carry a little importance to their stuff even if it had nothing to do with the Mafia. And I did more or less enjoy the fight.

 

The ending just really fizzled the whole thing out for me. After a good build and a good fight I expected a pin or someone beat down or a turn or something. But they were basically at the same place they were at the start of the show/end of last week's. Felt like a poor payoff to a good show.

 

There was no ref...so there was no way to even end the fight.

[The Ghost of bps21 0]

I should add though...that I very much enjoyed angry Sting at the end. He doesn't cut promos like that very often.

[jericho4life 0]

The observer site reprorts that Impact set it's new record last night with 1.9 million viewers last night and a 1.3 rating.

 

PWInsider and various others have also picked up on a Roode interview from a canada that confirms he signed a new contract...for an unbelievable 5 years.

 

First time I have tuned in to them on Spike - so the word about the empty arena match got me interested enough to set the DVR.

 

Sting was pretty f'n good. Angle's "I hate you! I hate you! I hate you!!!" was , well I dont know how to describe it. Lame? His no sell of a "15 foot drop" made no sense either. They were both pretty fired up though at the end.

[The Buzz 0]

The last two weeks of stuff between Angle and Sting has made me excited to see them wrestle again. Much better buildup then last month. Sting in my opinion still brings the goods even with the hurt knee, and you can't go wrong with Kurt Angle. That angry Sting promo might be better than the stuff he was doing late last year.

[The Ghost of bps21 0]

I've always liked Sting. He's been a favorite of mine since I saw him way back in my wrestling watching days. Maybe it's a case of him just liking the material or maybe it's because it's his last run...but he's been bringing more intensity and he seems a lot more interested in this last TNA run then his previous couple years.

[The Buzz 0]

I've always liked Sting. He's been a favorite of mine since I saw him way back in my wrestling watching days. Maybe it's a case of him just liking the material or maybe it's because it's his last run...but he's been bringing more intensity and he seems a lot more interested in this last TNA run then his previous couple years.

 

 

I agree, I liked the last two years or whatever because it was Sting, and he wasn't old and washed up. But now he's bringing some intensity that might add to his legacy when he retires.

[The Buzz 0]

In a breakdown of the record breaking Impact episode that aired two weeks ago, it should be noted that the main event match featuring Kurt Angle vs Sting in an empty arean match was the highest rated main event in company history. The match drew a 1.45 rating with 2.1 million viewers.

 

Source: The Wrestling Observer

[The Ghost of bps21 0]

That's because they actually built it for a couple weeks and the whole show made it sound like you should stick around and watch it. Plus...the segments where they were clearing out the arena were interesting in an "I've never seen this before" kind of way...so I'd imagine no one was turning it off.

[2GOLD 0]

 

The question is this...will people buy the PPV? I love hearing they are doing great ratings which secures themselves with Spike more and might lift morale a little, but a strong buyrate for a PPV and angles leading to things so everyone gets involved will send morale to the level it needs to be.

 

Great news leading to more great news is exactly what TNA needs to get rolling. Cause I damn well know they are capable of doing it and this angle shows they are.

[The Ghost of bps21 0]

They might do a little more than they usually do...because viewers have obviously shown some interest in Sting/Angle feud...but it's not going to be the biggest buys I'd imagine.

 

I wonder if it's good business to put two of your bigger matches (a better built Sting/Angle and next month rumored Foley/Sting and also the third JJ/Angle that has been really good) right around WrestleMania time...

 

On one hand...everyone will spend money on Mania and times are tough...

 

On the other hand...as evidenced by ratings interest in Wrestling is at a hight point all around right now.

[Steviekick 0]

I still think that TNA should lessen their PPV's to 6-8 for the year, and try to get their lesser events televised on Spike like the old Clashes that would air on TBS. It would be a great way to get exposure for them and build their audience.

[The Truthiness 0]

I think if TNA produced a product that people wanted to see, they could be profitable running house shows every weekend, return to the markets and draw the same or bigger crowds, and do PPV shows that would draw 2.5% of their viewers. Considering they were doing considerably more PPV buys when on Fox Sports Net with 250,000 viewers, that tells you if they produced better quality shows and built them up in a way people wanted to buy them and enjoyed them and felt they were can't miss, the potential is there.

 

TNA wasn't losing money before the economy went down but there was no sign they were making much either, and the last few months they've cut back on bringing people in (not just talking wrestlers they don't use but people who help with the show and office people) for tapings and a lot of good ideas were nixed because of money being tight. They also eliminated the day off on road PPVs as a cost saving plus are doing fewer PPV shows on the road because their product is so popular they can't sell many tickets for the PPV events so make out better staying in Orlando and allowing people in free, even though everyone in the company readily admits it makes the PPVs seem minor league and hurts growth of the genre.

 

It's not an either/or. If they produced better television, by this point the ratings would be a lot higher. But they are in a position where Dixie, who knows nothing about wrestling, doesn't know any better, and they have no confidence in their abilities to make stars, so they put TV shows based around Kurt Angle, Mick Foley and Sting and they are big enough stars from the past that people will watch them feud for free. Maybe more will pay to see them than usual as well in the next two months.

 

The fact they have the stars they have, and can't do profitable house show business unless they go to mid-level and small-level cities like Spencer, IA, where the costs are low and no other wrestling comes to town, spekas volumes. And then they can only do it once a year. They came to New York, drew well once, and the second time, did worse than ROH with no TV and no stars. They can bring all their stars to Booker T's home town or to Atlanta where Sting has a legacy and still can't sell many tickets, and eventually do most of their PPVs giving tickets for free should tell you they are hardly maximizing their potential as an entertainment company.

 

WCW had that mentality of relying on ready-made stars thinking it lasts forever, and didn't build new stars because Eric always believed as long as he had Hogan, everything would be fine. It worked for a few years but the shelf life was short.

 

I don't know the number for 2008, but they made $1 million on international TV deals in 2007. It's probably up in 2008, but probably also not a lot. It's money, but it's 7% of total income and not going to save the company. They are only around because of Spike TV, so they are dependent completely on Spike not having any financial problems with the economy hurting ad sales. WWE has taken a major merchandise hit so one would expect TNA is doing so as well, and TNA was counting on videogame money that isn't going to materialize. And when push comes to shove and Spike has to decide between the UFC deal that is $33 million per year and wrestling if their budget is cut, no matter what the ratings of the two, the UFC is a prestige product in their eyes and more important to the station. UFC will have multiple suitors almost for sure when the deal is up. If TNA can't get multiple suitors, it doesn't matter its ratings, it won't get any increase because there is no need to increase. That's if Spike stays healthy. If Spike doesn't stay healthy, TNA's entire existence is at their mercy. But TNA will also continue to exist as long as Spike is healthy, because Spike helps pay the big salaries.

 

But you could say the same thing about UFC. They could probably cut back on live shows and run a streamlined company for $33 million per year off the Spike money if PPVs were break-even or stop running PPVs if they are money losers. Instead, they were significantly more profitable than WWE was last year because they ran a far more effective company in a business that it is significantly tougher to be successful in than the wrestling business.

 

Spike is happy with the ratings, but the idea that what they are doing now is maximizing ratings is a joke when you see that WWE with no thought and just throwing C team wrestlers out beat them most weeks on Sci-Fi, a network unlike Spike which is not really conducive to drawing a wrestling audience.

 

If they had a well rounded business, they would be building new stars who are building legacies now instead of relying on people who go on TV and talk about their glory days when they used to wrestle Shawn Michaels, HHH and Randy Orton, the real stars. And if, like WWE with MyNetwork, if their key outlet goes down, it wouldn't threaten the existence of the business.

 

[The Ghost of bps21 0]

Captain buzzkill has arrived.

 

Explain to us how good Mike Adamle was? or how much the Hardy turn makes sense?

 

TROLL.

[The Truthiness 0]

Double Post.

 

 

[The Truthiness 0]

Adamle was awesome and TNA is awful.

 

The Hardy feud makes more sense then anything going on in that Disney Studio in Orlando.

 

Moron.

 

 

Why don't you tell us how great Joe title reign is going to be [it wasn't] or How AJ is going to get some huge push [he didn't], or your most recent blunder, how LAX is going to be taken seriously?

 

Not a troll,it is just fun making you look like an idiot on a regular basis, because you're always wrong...And you know it.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

Knock it off, both of you.

 

If you want to talk TNA go ahead, but get thee to NHB if you want to name call.

[RedJed 0]

Adamle was awesome and TNA is awful.

 

The Hardy feud makes more sense then anything going on in that Disney Studio in Orlando.

 

Moron.

 

 

Why don't you tell us how great Joe title reign is going to be [it wasn't] or How AJ is going to get some huge push [he didn't], or your most recent blunder, how LAX is going to be taken seriously?

 

Not a troll,it is just fun making you look like an idiot on a regular basis, because you're always wrong...And you know it.

 

Dude, do us all a favor who try to talk critically, sensibly and logically in this TNA folder and just leave........never come back. I've even so much as seen that when people here even dog on a certain thing TNA does, you actually then ironically enough disagree and then praise TNA somewhat. Clearly you are just a shit-stirrer that has no intentions of even having normal discussions around here, so just head back to the WWE folder and stay there. So sick of your posts clouding the discussions here....it makes me, as well as others I am sure, not even wanting to post. It's getting to be enough when you're attacking one of the only consistent posters on this board (bps) who has posted here in the TNA folder since way back when, as well as myself. If you think either of us are actually TNA marks, then fuck off, we're wrestling fans who want some normal discussions here. We both call a spade a spade when this company, or any other one, fucks up or does good in our eyes.

[The Thread Killer 0]

Hey cut poor Truthiness some slack...he's just in a bad mood because the object of his online love turned out to be a guy. Speaking of which, did you and Peter set a date for the big day yet Truthy?

[The Buzz 0]

The way I look at TNA is this for every three good things they do, they do ten retarded things. For example, they made Raven a big deal again for a time. Then they turned around and made him into enhancement talent just as fast. They fill the void WCW left me with. You get to see great undercard action, although some of it is nothing more than spots strung together. You get to see legends of the past and present do what made them good, which more than likely wouldn't be the case in WWE. Then you also get the storylines that start out great, and either don't end or end in a stupid manner.