So much for the new monday night Wrestling wars..

[Captain]

Actually TNA wasn't getting slaughtered on Mondays. TNA was doing pretty good on their live shows, actually showing some increases in ratings while WWE was declining... The problem was their taped shows. They couldn't run taped shows against live Raws. If TNA could have ever had two back to back LIVE shows, the ratings would have likely increased each week. But you can't build any momentum off a live show when you have to run a taped show the week after.

Plus Spike TV insisted that they keep the replay on Thursdays. Spike didn't want to lose their Thursday ratings. So how could TNA ever compete with taped shows and a replay on another night?

And the real dirty secret... Nobody watches wrestling anymore. TNA at it's peak draws about half of what the WWE draws. I think the hope was that if there was another "war" people would get interested again, but the reality is, WWE has burned so many of the old fans out, that they just don't care anymore. The only people left watching WWE are hardcore devout WWE fans, not wrestling fans. Which is a big difference.

Whereas back in the WCW/WWF days you had WCW fans, WWF fans a huge pool of "wrestling" fans. THose wrestling fans are gone.

Trust me, they were getting slaughtered. I was shown the numbers first hand a couple weeks ago...Well second hand I guess. TNA had a meeting with their lecensees and other investors (Dixie Carters wealthy parents mainly). From that meeting the company I was working with had another to pass down the bad news. They went from an average of approximately 2.5 million viewers on Thursdays (althouth that number had been dropping to 2 million flat before they switched to mondays) to less than 600 000. The bleeding stopped a bit when they changed the time slot a couple weeks ago, but didnt recover. Some markets reran the Monday show on Thursdays, and got better ratings so Spike said your going back.

I know some outfits are hopping mad about this mess. The group I worked with was losing money on all its TNA product lines since the recent changes. Jakks is ROYALLY PO"ed!! they had to delay the launch of the toy line a couple times now, due to massive cast changes, and the story line switches (which seem to have been made on the spot the last few episodes). They spent a ton of money bringing 3d imaging equipment to the shows and capturing the stars likenesses, only to have some of them leave, or be asked to leave (Booker T, Awesome Kong, the 6-sided ring,etc.)....and then be told the toys need to feature the "new" (ie--geezers) headliners like Hogan and Flair. Anymore changes and I think Jakks will pull out for sure.


Your right though, wrestling as a whole is declining in interest. MMA/UFC is wiping the floor with them ratings wise. Wonder if the WWe will put out its own MMA product? I know TNA tried to draw some UFC folks over to their show (one went...forget his name...Hogan canned him so it doesnt matter anyways?) hoping to draw viewers.

[ODBJBG]

Sounds like some mixed up intel. I don't know who you work for or what you got down the chain, but some of that seems pretty off with the numbers. They were still averaging over million on Mondays and Spike ran repeats on Thursday in all markets. It wasn't a regional thing. Remember that the only people who care about ratings numbers are advertisers, licenses care more about a total audience number which would add Monday and Thursday showings together. And actually when you combine the Monday and Thursday ratings they were doing above the total number of viewers for just Thursdays they had previously.

Jakks can't possibly be upset about the changes either. I just don't see how that's logical. WWE's roster changed all the time. Much moreso than TNA's has. Since they obtained the license, TNA has lost one or two people and gained about a half dozen big name stars. Jakks knows the wrestling business and they'd much rather sell Jeff Hardy figures than Awesome Kong figures. Jakks hasn't "delayed" anything, because the target date for TNA's figures to hit the shelves is the same as it always has been. None of the figures in the works were of people who have left the company.

Ultimately it was impossible for TNA to make any traction on Monday nights if they had to keep taping shows. Their live show ratings were down only about 15% from their previous ratings, which was pretty good overall and in line with Spike's expectations. It was the taped shows that cost them, sometimes losing up to 50% of their audience. Of course again, that sounds bad but the replay was making up for more than 60%. They didn't "lose the audience" they just made the audience watch it at a different time.

The only reason they're going back to Thursdays is because they can't afford to run live every Monday and it makes more sense to be one of the highest rated shows on Spike TV on Thursdays, than to split that rating over two days.

Spike TV and limited finances completely tied TNA's hands. It was a poorly timed move and they were smart to get out before any damage was done. Although it made for an interesting few weeks, it's probably for the best. They shouldn't be making a grab for those fans, because they don't exist. Best to build up your own base. Which I suspect is what they'll go back to.

And it should be noted that Spike just greenlit a second show for TNA, giving them a third hour each week. This whole thing is a lot less reactionary than it seems.

[BlackKnight]

TNA's a Joke.
I like seeing a couple of the Older Guys...
But to me, all they really have worth a Damn on a Regular Basis is Angle. That Dude has always Been a Bad Arse . Sting was doing the Billy Club and Crow Crap 15 yr's ago ..., and someone needs to smack him, if he still thinks thats cool.

[VintageMike]

Spike TV called for the move. They gave TNA a chance on Mondays and it didn't pan put. The reason being there's a different audience out there and a smaller total audience to pull from. Part of that available audience will pick WWE over anything else but will watch wrestling on another non-competing night. The killer from Mondays on TNA was when the Thursday replay got a better rating the Monday show. While the idea of th emonday Night Wars was cool I'd actually prefer the shows on different nights anyway so I have something to watch Monday & Thursday nights. As far as the announcers you can't bag on them, like all wrestling announcers they are told what to say.

[Captain]

Those are the numbers (granted I rounded them off) we were given from TNA's licensing guru.I'm not sure how they do their mean/median/mode stuff, but those were the numbers they work from. This is my first foray into "sports entertainment (ie Wrestling ) licensing, but as I have learned, the license holders use ratings to determine their future plans for product releases. From what I've been told by those who have been a part of this for a while, wrestling is very streaky, and goes through long dormant periods where the properties just drag along, and there is no interest in products. When its hot, its hot, but there doesnt seem to be much of a margin between hot and shelf warmer. When the shows ratings are up, sales are up, when they drop, so do product sales....You cant forcast a property like that based on current sales, you have to go by where the rating trends show. In TNA's case (and from what I hear WWE's) that trend is down.

As for Jakks, all I can say is from what I have heard from the people I was working with. They arent happy. As for the figures Booker T and his Misses were planned and scanned, Awesome Kong was scanned as were most of the divas. There were others.That cost Jakks money. Sting was in and out and in again, stuff like that rattled Jakks. I'm sure Jeff Hardy would sell better than Awesome..and he was always in the line up. He did start TNA after all. I agree that some of the characters they now can license may be better than what they had to start with.I do know Jakks/TNA have been talking to some long time retired wrestlers (pre WWE/WWF in some cases) about using their likeness as well.

As for delays, again, from what I was told, the line was held up. Whether thats the introduction date for the Dallas Toy Fair, or the release date ???? I just know they were delayed, and had to restart after things changed.

[Riffster]

nonody needs to see Flair in a crimson mask every monday, it's sad what he's become. Hogan can barely move and doesn't need to be in matches or slapping other talents around.

[Hector]

nonody needs to see Flair in a crimson mask every monday, it's sad what he's become. Hogan can barely move and doesn't need to be in matches or slapping other talents around.

I know...Flair getting bloodied every week is getting downright disgusting.

Why keep treating an old guy like that?

Hulk should just run things...not get physically involved anymore.

[Hector]

BTW...it doesn't matter if both Raw and Impact are on the same night...or different nights...I DVR them anyway...and watch them later...while skipping all the bloody commercials...

[Rextasy]

I know...Flair getting bloodied every week is getting downright disgusting.

Why keep treating an old guy like that?

Hulk should just run things...not get physically involved anymore.

Flair was always one of the best bleeders. It's kinda nice in a nostalgic way to see him (or anyone) getting color on TV again, but yeah, too much of anything ruins it.

I can't help but wince seeing him in ring in the shape he is, but if he continues, I have to believe it's because he wants to, and at least they're still employing him. What disgusts me is seeing him get disrespected, continually jobbing to younger talent and treated like a sideshow. I know he's not the draw anymore, but as a true legend he deserves a little better.

[VintageMike]

Flair continues because sadly he needs the $$. What you saw on TV in the 80's he not only lived but spent more than the he made.
WWE offered him a steady job after his retirement as an "ambassodor" but the lure of fast cash on the autograph circuit led him to break away. I'm sure he regrets that decision now. Flair is my all-time favorite but sadly mr. stylin' and profilin' needs cash bad after a lifetime of bad money decisions and several divorces.

[Hector]

Flair was always one of the best bleeders. It's kinda nice in a nostalgic way to see him (or anyone) getting color on TV again, but yeah, too much of anything ruins it.

I can't help but wince seeing him in ring in the shape he is, but if he continues, I have to believe it's because he wants to, and at least they're still employing him. What disgusts me is seeing him get disrespected, continually jobbing to younger talent and treated like a sideshow. I know he's not the draw anymore, but as a true legend he deserves a little better.

I agree.

Using that storyline where Abyss (or was it Hulk?) took his Hall of Fame ring...downright disrespectful.

[mazinz]

Actually TNA wasn't getting slaughtered on Mondays. TNA was doing pretty good on their live shows, actually showing some increases in ratings while WWE was declining... The problem was their taped shows. They couldn't run taped shows against live Raws. If TNA could have ever had two back to back LIVE shows, the ratings would have likely increased each week. But you can't build any momentum off a live show when you have to run a taped show the week after.

Plus Spike TV insisted that they keep the replay on Thursdays. Spike didn't want to lose their Thursday ratings. So how could TNA ever compete with taped shows and a replay on another night?

And the real dirty secret... Nobody watches wrestling anymore. TNA at it's peak draws about half of what the WWE draws. I think the hope was that if there was another "war" people would get interested again, but the reality is, WWE has burned so many of the old fans out, that they just don't care anymore. The only people left watching WWE are hardcore devout WWE fans, not wrestling fans. Which is a big difference.

Whereas back in the WCW/WWF days you had WCW fans, WWF fans a huge pool of "wrestling" fans. THose wrestling fans are gone.

I think you really hit the nail on the head, I just cannot watch any of this stuff any more (though show me something from the older days I can can view it just fine)

[jds1911a1]

TNA is trying the same tactics that put wcw on the map 15 years ago except they forgot what made nitro work over raw for so long - pre empting the start time with a live show and finally announcing what was going to happen on Raw since it was taped. With the internet and blogs a taped show shoots itself in the head why watch if you know the outcome. The fact all of the former wcw/wwe talents are so old now doesn't help either.

I made the mistake of pulling out some old tapes I had of the original wars era and I forgot how much better it was back then. even my buddys son noticed he was more into the story line from the tapes than the current wwe and he was 10 so the only stars he know are the WWE names randy orton, batista, john cena et al.

[VintageMike]

Side note: TNA figures now available fro pre-order

http://www.ringsidecollectibles.com/...egory_Code=TNA

[JDeRouen]

I haven't been able to watch professional wrestling since Chris Benoit (my favorite at the time) killed his family and then himself. The culture is destructive, and I'm surprised that what happened with Benoit didn't happen earlier or since.

I do watch UFC and other MMA shows, as well as WWE Classics on InDemand. WCW in the early 80's, Mid-Atlantic from the 70's and 80's, WCCW before all the Von Erichs killed themselves. But that's pretty much it.