Total Non-Stop Action Wrestling has been in business for over 9 years. Since the debut of TNA Wrestling on SpikeTV in 2005, the ratings from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, TNA’s average television audience is roughly 1.8 million viewers a week.
According to TVbuythenumbers.zap2it.com, SpikeTV is available in 98.6 million homes. So the question is, with a network as large as Spike, why does TNA continue to struggle at not even breaking 2.0. Even when World Championship Wrestling was at its low, the average ratings were just above the 2.0 mark.
When TNA first debuted in June 2002 as a weekly pay-per view show, they promoted themselves as an alternative to WWE. More in ring action (which they had), unique matches such as Ultimate X and the reverse latter match, King of the Mountain. TNA has struggled to have its own unique niche and identity.
So the big question is what does TNA need to do in order to make company history with a 2.0 rating for Impact Wrestling? There are five areas TNA could change that could possibly increase their ratings. 1) Make the company what they are supposed to be based on by their name. ‘Total Non-Stop Action’ – and put their new slogan, Wrestling Matters more into their Impact Wrestling television show – less talk and longer matches.
2) Really consider investing money into taking their weekly show on the road more and when they do, air it live and not tape it ahead of time.
3) Stop wasting money on former WWE talent that continues to do nothing for their ratings. It only is eating up funds the company could save.
4) Drop the old WWE attitude era format. It’s old and if fans really wanted to see it, then TNA’s ratings would be higher.
5) Do something different and unique that will get people talking. TNA has a very talented roster, and like him or not, Eric Bischoff has the ability to make TNA a top wrestling company. He almost put WWE out of business during the Monday Night War in the mid 90’s.
Now with Sting recently being given the TNA World Title yet again, I believe the company is desperately looking for that ratings pop, but as we have already seen putting the title on a 50 plus year old legend has done nothing for television ratings. Sting has been a great champion is previous years both in TNA and World Championship Wrestling.
I don’t think Ken Anderson has been given a fair enough amount of time to prove himself as a champion. I think that if they kept him as a face champion, he could have great potential for some good fan reaction, but instead, continue to go back to the past.
This is exactly was World Championship Wrestling did during the New World Order era. Giving the older talent their championship belt and not looking to the future.
How much longer will SpikeTV and Panda Energy keep dumping money into TNA before the funds run dry? If your television product is weak and full of stuff nobody wants to see, then a six-sided ring with all unique matches no other promotion has, and spending big money on former WWE and WCW talent won’t make a difference. Sadly, when I look at company who has great potential, all I continue to see is WCW 1999-2000.
For more from Jerome Wilen check out his website, Pro Wrestling Ringside – http://prowrestlingringside.blogspot.com
CM Punk Uprising Authentic T-Shirt
WWE Money in the Bank 2011 DVD
WWE: The Greatest Cage Matches of All Time
WWE Randy Orton: The Evolution Of A Predator DVD
Grab discounted WWE DVDs, merchandise, t -shirts, figures, and more from the WWE Shop on Amazon.com