TNA debt

[Cbear]

Dave Meltzer had a comment about TNA that since Panda Energy bought the company, TNA has gone in the red 20 million dollars. That is amazing and I'm really surprised they let it get past 2-3 million without pulling the plug. There is no way they will ever make back that kind of loss, much less make a profit.

[dogofwar]

This will be yet another company w/ JJJ, DDP, Nash at the top that goes out of business.

[Cbear]

Panda made one of their board of directors the new ceo/cfo of TNA and were very vocal they were not shutting the company down but committed to making it work. Even Dave said they are only a decent tv slot away from making it work. I think Panda is really hoping to land the old RAW slot before TUF 2 which would be great if they can do it. There are enough pissed off WWE fans who would tune in for the X division type matches and TUF fans might like those too. TUF definitely benefited from a wrestling lead in, so if Dana was smart he would be supportive of this happening (but he is deluded into thinking hes drawing a boxing crowd, not wrestling even though the demos prove that wrong). Back to the original point of a new ceo. Companies usually don't send in a new head dog to kill something, the Carters could have pulled the plug themselves and ended it. I suspect the new guy has a time limit to make some major things happen such as tv and I'd think thats a year. The real trick on tv is that Spike may not want a wrestling show regardless of how cheaply they could probably get TNA. Thats bad thinking in my op but all they really care about is advertising revenue rates, not necessarily viewer ratings. They only want viewers who spend money on advertiser products and wrestling fans have a bad rap of not being money spenders.

[dogofwar]

I'm not so sure Spike would pick them up...I mean I hear the only pull about a .01 on Foxsports....also when you feature guys the WWE tossed out how do you expect to get viewers...horrible ppv buyrates, massive debt, and beyond terrible tv ratings....would Spike take a chance on them and if they do, will it be good, ECW wasn't treated well by Spike at all..

I would like to see TUF 2 get a 9 or 10 PM slot.

[Jeremy]

Spike should pick them up, it'd be fairly cheap and competition, even if weak competition.

[niniendowarrior]

Sigh... another pro-wrestling company down the drain. 20M is a ton of money and no one will invest in TNA ever. I don't think Spike will pick them up... weak competition is rubbish and I'm sure Spike would rather find a better show than TNA...

I guess we should get used to seeing HHH for the rest of our lives.

[Cbear]

I think it could work to Spikes advantage. The WWE was asking about 40 million for their package which was a huge increase from the approx 28 million (as I recall) for the rights. Spike decided that even with big viewer ratings it wasn't worth it since advertisers wouldn't pay as much for time on a wrestling show as they would for a show such as CSI. But there are only so many CSIs. I suspect TNA would cut a deal for very little money if anything just to get the exposure on a major channel that would undoubtedly help their ppv buys. If I am not mistaken, TNA is currently paying TSN or whoever it is, for air time. Spike could probably buy the entire package of TNA programming for 5 mil a year which would be worth it as that is pocket change. It would give them the 1-2 punch of wrestling and UFC which is a proven ratings winner and even with lower advertising dollars, its still a major increase since they are paying out 28 mil a year to WWE.

But, as Dog pointed out, they crapped all over ECW and may not want to work again with a small wrestling company.

As far as moving the TUF show to an earlier timeslot, neither Dana nor Spike wants to compete head to head with the WWE. As I recall they even talked about moving days for TUF to get an earlier slot that didn't compete. The bottom line is if they can get TNA for low money, its a very safe risk and they should jump on it so they have the wrestling/TUF double header.

[TheIcon]

Someone mentioned all of WWE rubbish. Wasn't WCW made up of ALOT of WWE rubbish right before they went on a tear of winning the Monday Night Wars.

Also I agree TNA did have low ratings but what do you expect when they show it on a Friday nite at 1am in the morning. Most people are out drunk at a bar or home in bed with some huzzy. Im a huge wrestling fan but alcohol and women def take priorety over wrestling.

[dogofwar]

Someone mentioned all of WWE rubbish. Wasn't WCW made up of ALOT of WWE rubbish right before they went on a tear of winning the Monday Night Wars.

Also I agree TNA did have low ratings but what do you expect when they show it on a Friday nite at 1am in the morning. Most people are out drunk at a bar or home in bed with some huzzy. Im a huge wrestling fan but alcohol and women def take priorety over wrestling.
Scott Hall and Kevin Nash at the time weren't rubbish.....and Hogan turning heel for the first time ever...plus they has an awesome roster w/ Jericho, Benoit, Raven, Malenko, Eddie, Rey, Ultimo, Juvi...I mean the list goes on...

And TNA does not did have low rating and the show actually first comes on in the afternoon, and if people were interested they could set their tivo or vcrs to record the show. But they aren't.

[Cbear]

TNA could benefit from the TUF or UFC audience and I think it could be symbiotic to a degree. What UFC fan sitting at home with a six pack getting primed for fighting wants to watch a rerun of Frazier? As much as they might profess to hate rasslin, I suspect AJ Styles and a few others just might make some new fans from the TUF crowd. However, Jarrett on top and filling in the magic HHH last segment is death. If TNA gets the opening slot for TUF they need to feature their hottest workers in the last 15 minutes closing the show each week so the TUF fans who tune in right before showtime can see them. If they see Jarrett, Nash, Dusty, DDP.....they will simply go get another beer instead of watch.

[TheIcon]

Scott Hall and Kevin Nash at the time weren't rubbish.....and Hogan turning heel for the first time ever...plus they has an awesome roster w/ Jericho, Benoit, Raven, Malenko, Eddie, Rey, Ultimo, Juvi...I mean the list goes on...

And TNA does not did have low rating and the show actually first comes on in the afternoon, and if people were interested they could set their tivo or vcrs to record the show. But they aren't.

If Scott Hall and Kevin Nash at the time weren't rubbish why did the WWF let them go? In there eyes they weren't worth it. To me not worth the time,effort or money = rubbish. (Steve Austin was WCW rubbish) WCW had an awsome roster looking back but all the people you mention IMO had very little to do with WCW success at that time. Hall, Nash, Hogan, 123 kid, NWO all helped WCW in my eyes win the war for quite awhile. Not Benoit, Raven, Malenko, or Eddie. Great workers...but they were lucky if they made it on TV with a decent storyline.

I won't dissagree with you that TNA came on in the afternoons. It very well may have. I just am aware that it has always come on at shyt times in the wee morning when I would love to watch if I wasn't out somewhere.

Oh well. WWE needs compitition cause there turning to shyt to. Kind of off topic but I rather watch a HBK, Angle, Benoit match for the 10,000 time than watch HHH blabber for the 3rd year in a row or Edge make his "im taking a nasty poop face" and you can bank on that.

[Luke]

In 1996 when Scott Hall and Kevin Nash left WWF, it was because WCW offered more money than WWF was willing to pay at the time. WWF was having some financial difficulties, and, I believe, had just signed Bret Hart to that gigantic 20 year contract. Point is, money was the number one reason those two left. Not to mention, those two leaving broke up the Kliq (Hall, Nash, Triple H, HBK, Waltman) which wasn't a bad thing at the time either.

Anyway, to to address the actual topic of the thread, I don't understand why they want to keep backing a perennial money loser, but, I admire their commitment. TNA needs to make some changes though, Nash, Jarrett, Rhodes, etc. all need to go.

[hartigan]

If Scott Hall and Kevin Nash at the time weren't rubbish why did the WWF let them go? In there eyes they weren't worth it. To me not worth the time,effort or money = rubbish. (Steve Austin was WCW rubbish) WCW had an awsome roster looking back but all the people you mention IMO had very little to do with WCW success at that time. Hall, Nash, Hogan, 123 kid, NWO all helped WCW in my eyes win the war for quite awhile. Not Benoit, Raven, Malenko, or Eddie. Great workers...but they were lucky if they made it on TV with a decent storyline.

I won't dissagree with you that TNA came on in the afternoons. It very well may have. I just am aware that it has always come on at shyt times in the wee morning when I would love to watch if I wasn't out somewhere.

Oh well. WWE needs compitition cause there turning to shyt to. Kind of off topic but I rather watch a HBK, Angle, Benoit match for the 10,000 time than watch HHH blabber for the 3rd year in a row or Edge make his "im taking a nasty poop face" and you can bank on that.


if they didn't care about hall, why did they find some loser look alike after he split?

[dogofwar]

Not Benoit, Raven, Malenko, or Eddie. Great workers...but they were lucky if they made it on TV with a decent storyline.


Raven had some great angles going....the one where his mom came and got him, his fued w/ Benoit, the fued for the Flock w/ Saturn...

Benoit had the best of 7 matches w/ Booker T, his matches w/ Kevin Sullivan...

Eddie had the Latino World Order....

These guys never got the credit but I firmly believe they delivered time in and time out...and that is a big reason for their success as well..you see the drop off when they left...and when Benoit, Saturn, Malenko, and Eddie showed up on Raw it was huge...as was Jericho....so they had more impact on WCW's success them some people give credit for.