NWA TNA TV deal - Thoughts on it?

[Rob]

It looks almost certain that NWA TNA will get a weekly show on Fox Sports Net now but the timeslot is Friday at 3pm.

How do you think the company will fare in this timeslot?

My own thoughts are that it will hurt the company on a whole. Although I do believe people will watch good wrestling no matter what the timeslot is, I can't see it working in this slot when most of the perspective audience is either working or at school.

Either that or they think all wrestling fans are unemployed and have nothing better to do on Friday afternoons :p

[PureHatred]

Time to fire up the TiVo.

But yeah, not a great timeslot. Like most FSN programming, I figure they'll be re-played ad nauseam throughout the week. Also, this is going to cut back on the amount of T&A and hardcore suff that can be shown. So that will definitely effect storylines. But overall, I see this as a good thing for the company. They have more financial stability and a chance to broaden their fanbase. Iknow I'll tune in every week now instead of the "check the card and try to figure out if its worth the $10" method of fandom I've been operating on.

[Dave Youell]

Gotta agree with you there.

Is it 3pm central though?

Cos if it is they still have the pacific time peeps who can watch.

But overall it is a pretty shitty time slot

[Rob]

I thought it was Eastern. Don't know for sure though.

Both timeslots they has planned would be crap for people on the west coast anyway.

Don't know if they are even doing replays. If they were, why would they be stuck with the two slots talked about?

[Boondock Saint]

I'll watch it if I'm home, but if not, I'll prolly tape it. It's a pretty crappy timeslot, but maybe it will change if it does well.

[Pepsi Man]

I typed up these thoughts on it when I first learned of the deal...some of them may not apply, but since I'm feeling lazy, if it doesn't make sense, just skip this post...

For those that don't know, NWA: TNA is supposedly "close" to having a deal inked with Fox Sports Net. Allegedly, there would be weekly shows on Sunday nights, with one Sunday PPV a month for somewhere between twenty and thirty bucks.

Personally, I think people are jumping the gun assuming they'll be competition for the WWE. In fact, my advice to the NWA: TNA is to NOT try to compete with the WWE. I mean, sure, it sounds good and all, for them to now have a TV show and think they can go head-to-head with the most dominating organization in professional wrestling history, BUT...

You have to remember that all in all, TNA is still a pretty weak organization, no offense intended, of course. I mean they only wrestle on the PPVs, without house shows or anything. Merchandise is limited at best. It may just be me, but I don't imagine they tour very much as an organization. In fact, DO they tour as an organization?!

Don't get me wrong, though. I anxiously await this alternative to the WWE. For the past three years, the only non WWE wrestling I've seen has been that of local indy feds containing maybe a star or two, but mainly people that can't tell a wristlock from a wristwatch. I'm talking about people that make Hulk Hogan look like ****ing Kurt Angle.

NWA: TNA is just not readly to "compete" with the WWE. They also should avoid raunchy storylines in my view. I think that Vince Russo failed to realize when he got creative input that part of TNA's fanbase was drawn in by the old school feel it had in the beginning. The point wasn't breasts, frivilous obscenities, or any shit like that; it was to get in the ring, wait for the bell to ring, and wrestle. May the best man win.

Simply put, I just think that NWA: TNA needs to grow at NWA: TNA's pace and not worry about "competing" with the WWE, as that would only hurt them in the long run.

So one more time to summarize, I hope that TNA DOES get this deal, but they're certainly not in any position to make Vinnie Mac wet his pants just yet.

[King Jericho]

I think FOX are just trying to test it, to see how it fairs, but if this is so then its a pretty bad time to see how it fairs in.

I think the TV deal will take time before it eventually hepls out TNA, at first it might take time to get people into the product of whatnot but it will eventually pay off, i think TNA will turn out like WCW if its pushed in the right way.

[Loose Cannon]

Well said Pepsi. You're right in that NWA TNA is in no way to compete with the WWE. Originally I thought 3 PM on Fridays was a terrible timeslot because nobody is ever home at that time, including myself. I'm at school usually and during the summer, I'll be working. But...A 3PM timeslot isn't suppossed to get big ratings or anything, so it's not like they would be in danger of being cancelled or anything with that timeslot if they get no ratings. What can you expect? This lets TNA build a market gradually and hopefuly they will start gaining viewers as they go along. Then they would move to a better timeslot, like maybe 8 on Wednesdays when they gain viewers.

[Wondermouse]

TNA has been mad toned down. No one curses or bleeds on that show anymore.

[PureHatred]

I thought it was Eastern. Don't know for sure though.

Both timeslots they has planned would be crap for people on the west coast anyway.

Don't know if they are even doing replays. If they were, why would they be stuck with the two slots talked about?

I could be wrong. But I was going based on the other original programming FSN shows ( You Gotta See This, Extrem Sports Weekly, etc). They usually broadcast a new episode weekly, then whenever they have an open slot (before baseball games or whatnot) they'll squeeze in a replay.

This is of course, based on Fow Sports here in L.A. so I could be totally off the mark for other markets.

[Loose Cannon]

And another thing I forgot to mention is that kids, at least in America, come home from school usually around 3 PM, so maybe they are trying to go after the younger kids market first, kind of like how the WWE did in the 80's with the Saturday and Sunday morning shows. That's what got me hooked in the first place.

[Boondock Saint]

What if, eventually, they went up against SD? Think it would cause Vince to put more effort behind it?

[Rob]

Anyone who has seen the TNA product knows they aren't going to be in competition with WWE any time soon.

[Boondock Saint]

Yeah true

[The Mackem]

Are they still going to have PPV's?

A wise man once said, the TV shows are just a build up to the PPV main event ;)

[Rob]

Yes. Don't have a scooby on how they are gonna manage to maintain them though. They might as well go monthly now.

[The Mackem]

They'll have to though won't they?

Well I'm saying that but I don't know how the contracts are working at TNA, I'm guessing they're still on Pay per appearance contracts and I guess they can't afford to pay people twice a week with not much significant income change with the TV deal.

It will be interesting though. I know TNA aren't anywhere near WWE's level but they are getting stuff in place to grow over the next few years.

[The CyNick]

The timeslot is obviously bad, very bad.

But the biggest problem with the deal is that they are not dropping the weekly PPV format. I dont see how people are going to pay $10 a week when the show is also on for free on a weekly basis.

Along with that they have a problem because they are adding an extra date per week to tape the TV shows. So that means you gotta pay the guys an extra 4-5 dates, which means you've doubled your payroll expenses on top of the expense of buying the TV time.

I personally thinkt his will speed up the end of TNA, at least under the financial backing they currently have.

[Kazara]

Trust me guys, TNA is awful.