KayfabeMan
07-02-2005, 04:33 PM
Following my last KC, regarding my trip to TNA's Slammiversary, I had mentioned that I wanted to do a semiserious rant / article addressing my obvious observations about TNA being nothing but a gigantic independent promotion; hopefully leading into a discussion of many opinions and whatnot. So here goes.
ON THE TELEVISION SIDE
TNA has a great producer / editor in Dave Sahadi. He definitely earns his pay, turning out top quality, well put-together segments and videos. However, they also have a poor quality for their television production - with many of their graphics and such coming off immature. I have NO idea if this is Dave's responsibility or doing, but I AM positive that there are others that are over him who could change this - quickly. These types of things are seen on indy promotions TV shows that air in their respective local markets. Not good for a 'big' fed.
Instead of encouraging / exciting fans - some of their segments with Douglas and Borash come off as them pleading with the fans to order their PPVs / watch their broadcasts. Now, I realize that they probably [in reality] are, but you don't have to make it so obvious to those at home. That's really about it; except for Don West, but that's another issue.
THE MATCH QUALITY ISSUE
You don't come off as a major promotion when you are presenting low-quality matches for the majority of your programming. No offense to those who may be entertained, but Trytan and Simon Diamond taking on Apolo and Siaki is hardly a match that would entice me to buy a PPV. PLUS, when you're running weekly TV [unless it's WCW Pro] you can't have matches like America's Most Wanted vs. Phi Delta Slam, or AJ Styles vs. Bruce Steele. To the majority of the potential audience, guys like Petey Williams, Lance Hoyt, Monty Brown, etc. [TNA's big 'superstars'] are nobodies as it is. You can't make people believe they are somebody if they are in the ring with even BIGGER 'nobodies'.
This comes off as an independent promotion as well. 'Name' talents taking on 'nobodies' all of the time; except at least on the indy scene the 'nobodies' have a chance of getting a win.
THE LACK OF ANY TYPE OF DIRECTION
This affects TNA in both their on-screen and backstage / business issues. They have no direction whatsoever, and wrestlers there are on a turnover that rivals that of a McDonalds. How can a casual fan get into your product when you keep switching your talents? I am all for exposure for new talents, but this must be done gradually - and not constantly. It reeks of desperation, and grasping at straws for ideas. If people wanted to see inconsistent and nonsensical booking, they could continue watching WWE.
As far as business sense goes - they have none. When it is costing you $30,000 a week to air 'IMPACT!', plus $40,000+ a month for your space at Universal Studios, plus talents travel and hotel costs, plus talent fees, and catering, and production costs, etc., etc., etc. - AND YOU ARE GIVING AWAY FREE SEATS TO NOT ONLY YOUR TELEVISION TAPINGS - BUT ALSO YOUR PPVS - YOU HAVE NO FRIGGING CHANCE OF MAKING A DIME. Giving away that many free seats is another quality that is attributed to independent feds.
Staying at Universal in Orlando is like Tom Hanks' moneypit. You're there - pumping money into the same building over and over again, for next to no fans. Part of that is due to the fact that the business is in a slump, part is due to the lack of headliners, and part of that is due to the fact that you are based in one single city. Only so many people can feasibly make it to these events. On top of that, that same small amount would probably disappear if there were a ticket fee. Being based in this one building and never moving is also very indy like.
I don't care how many Jeff Hardy wristbands, or D'Lo Brown bobbleheads or Kid Kash shirts that you sell [noting the fact that two of them no longer work there] - you're not going to get that cash back. Shit, you're probably not even going to get the cash that it cost you to make the items back. Here's an idea. For $40,000 a month - take your show on the road. Get the name out there in every possible market. Bring your bigger name guys [Jarrett, The Hardyz, The New Age Outlaws, Killings, Waltman, etc.] to towns along with younger guys [Styles, Williams, Sabin, Abyss, etc.] to establish them. If you sold ticket prices at that of even an average / above average indy show - you have a chance to make some money back [plus sell your merchandise to a bigger crowd]. Some income is better than none - especially when your product is gaining more exposure. 10+ shows a month is also better than six shows in 2 months.
THE ADVERTISEMENT FACTOR
Now, my theory about taking the show on the road works both financially and realistically. The only problem is TNA's lack of any type of publicity. Outside of a small group of people, no one even knows that they are running PPV events - or when they are going to air. You shouldn't have to search around to see if a promotion is going to be running an event - even as a casual fan.
TNA has a HORRIBLE PR department, and Trifecta doesn't handle their job very well. When the best publicity you can offer a client is releasing periodical press releases via the internet, you might as well be a mark - who could do the exact same thing. There are no TV ads, no radio interviews or anything else that run to promote TNA. I have yet to see a TNA advertisement in any type of serious / non-wrestling area of the media [magazine, papers, etc.]. This lack of promotion is another thing that befits an independent promotion. Word of mouth only gets you so far. After that you need actual promotion. How are people supposed to be aware of your company and/or merchandise if you don't actually advertise anything?
THE LIVE TNA EXPERIENCE
This definitely comes off as an independent promotion. For those brave/dumb enough to go, when you arrive at TNA you are made to wait in several lines for quite some time. This is a bit worse than an indy show, as least there is usually one line. Again, unprofessionally, no one there has any idea about anything that is going on; park employees, nor [even worse] TNA 'employees' know anything about anything.
Their merchandise kiosk is not fully equipped with the small amount of TNA merchandise that there actually is, and it comes across as very second rate. They may as well have a folding table set up with items on it - like an indy show. Furthermore, people are let in to scurry off and fight over seating - often getting worse seats than those who arrive late [as people are asked to move down and such to fit in more people; here's an idea, get rid of that stupid ass second ramp and add an additional bleacher in there - even if just for the PPV's].
There's much more to discuss here, but you can read the last KC for that.
In reality, all of this is what TNA should have done before jumping into TV; however, it is definitely not too late to take one big step back to take another big 50 steps forward.
Anyhow, those are my observations / opinions about TNA - and why they are the world's largest independent pro-wrestling promotion. Trading cards, action figures and a timeslot during Friday afternoons does not a major promotion make. TNA's current status is just about that of ECW before it closed - except people were still interested in that company.
ON THE TELEVISION SIDE
TNA has a great producer / editor in Dave Sahadi. He definitely earns his pay, turning out top quality, well put-together segments and videos. However, they also have a poor quality for their television production - with many of their graphics and such coming off immature. I have NO idea if this is Dave's responsibility or doing, but I AM positive that there are others that are over him who could change this - quickly. These types of things are seen on indy promotions TV shows that air in their respective local markets. Not good for a 'big' fed.
Instead of encouraging / exciting fans - some of their segments with Douglas and Borash come off as them pleading with the fans to order their PPVs / watch their broadcasts. Now, I realize that they probably [in reality] are, but you don't have to make it so obvious to those at home. That's really about it; except for Don West, but that's another issue.
THE MATCH QUALITY ISSUE
You don't come off as a major promotion when you are presenting low-quality matches for the majority of your programming. No offense to those who may be entertained, but Trytan and Simon Diamond taking on Apolo and Siaki is hardly a match that would entice me to buy a PPV. PLUS, when you're running weekly TV [unless it's WCW Pro] you can't have matches like America's Most Wanted vs. Phi Delta Slam, or AJ Styles vs. Bruce Steele. To the majority of the potential audience, guys like Petey Williams, Lance Hoyt, Monty Brown, etc. [TNA's big 'superstars'] are nobodies as it is. You can't make people believe they are somebody if they are in the ring with even BIGGER 'nobodies'.
This comes off as an independent promotion as well. 'Name' talents taking on 'nobodies' all of the time; except at least on the indy scene the 'nobodies' have a chance of getting a win.
THE LACK OF ANY TYPE OF DIRECTION
This affects TNA in both their on-screen and backstage / business issues. They have no direction whatsoever, and wrestlers there are on a turnover that rivals that of a McDonalds. How can a casual fan get into your product when you keep switching your talents? I am all for exposure for new talents, but this must be done gradually - and not constantly. It reeks of desperation, and grasping at straws for ideas. If people wanted to see inconsistent and nonsensical booking, they could continue watching WWE.
As far as business sense goes - they have none. When it is costing you $30,000 a week to air 'IMPACT!', plus $40,000+ a month for your space at Universal Studios, plus talents travel and hotel costs, plus talent fees, and catering, and production costs, etc., etc., etc. - AND YOU ARE GIVING AWAY FREE SEATS TO NOT ONLY YOUR TELEVISION TAPINGS - BUT ALSO YOUR PPVS - YOU HAVE NO FRIGGING CHANCE OF MAKING A DIME. Giving away that many free seats is another quality that is attributed to independent feds.
Staying at Universal in Orlando is like Tom Hanks' moneypit. You're there - pumping money into the same building over and over again, for next to no fans. Part of that is due to the fact that the business is in a slump, part is due to the lack of headliners, and part of that is due to the fact that you are based in one single city. Only so many people can feasibly make it to these events. On top of that, that same small amount would probably disappear if there were a ticket fee. Being based in this one building and never moving is also very indy like.
I don't care how many Jeff Hardy wristbands, or D'Lo Brown bobbleheads or Kid Kash shirts that you sell [noting the fact that two of them no longer work there] - you're not going to get that cash back. Shit, you're probably not even going to get the cash that it cost you to make the items back. Here's an idea. For $40,000 a month - take your show on the road. Get the name out there in every possible market. Bring your bigger name guys [Jarrett, The Hardyz, The New Age Outlaws, Killings, Waltman, etc.] to towns along with younger guys [Styles, Williams, Sabin, Abyss, etc.] to establish them. If you sold ticket prices at that of even an average / above average indy show - you have a chance to make some money back [plus sell your merchandise to a bigger crowd]. Some income is better than none - especially when your product is gaining more exposure. 10+ shows a month is also better than six shows in 2 months.
THE ADVERTISEMENT FACTOR
Now, my theory about taking the show on the road works both financially and realistically. The only problem is TNA's lack of any type of publicity. Outside of a small group of people, no one even knows that they are running PPV events - or when they are going to air. You shouldn't have to search around to see if a promotion is going to be running an event - even as a casual fan.
TNA has a HORRIBLE PR department, and Trifecta doesn't handle their job very well. When the best publicity you can offer a client is releasing periodical press releases via the internet, you might as well be a mark - who could do the exact same thing. There are no TV ads, no radio interviews or anything else that run to promote TNA. I have yet to see a TNA advertisement in any type of serious / non-wrestling area of the media [magazine, papers, etc.]. This lack of promotion is another thing that befits an independent promotion. Word of mouth only gets you so far. After that you need actual promotion. How are people supposed to be aware of your company and/or merchandise if you don't actually advertise anything?
THE LIVE TNA EXPERIENCE
This definitely comes off as an independent promotion. For those brave/dumb enough to go, when you arrive at TNA you are made to wait in several lines for quite some time. This is a bit worse than an indy show, as least there is usually one line. Again, unprofessionally, no one there has any idea about anything that is going on; park employees, nor [even worse] TNA 'employees' know anything about anything.
Their merchandise kiosk is not fully equipped with the small amount of TNA merchandise that there actually is, and it comes across as very second rate. They may as well have a folding table set up with items on it - like an indy show. Furthermore, people are let in to scurry off and fight over seating - often getting worse seats than those who arrive late [as people are asked to move down and such to fit in more people; here's an idea, get rid of that stupid ass second ramp and add an additional bleacher in there - even if just for the PPV's].
There's much more to discuss here, but you can read the last KC for that.
In reality, all of this is what TNA should have done before jumping into TV; however, it is definitely not too late to take one big step back to take another big 50 steps forward.
Anyhow, those are my observations / opinions about TNA - and why they are the world's largest independent pro-wrestling promotion. Trading cards, action figures and a timeslot during Friday afternoons does not a major promotion make. TNA's current status is just about that of ECW before it closed - except people were still interested in that company.