[Brian Styles]

The problem is very similar to football as you said, people think Football and they think NFL, people think wrestling and they think WWF or WWE.


TNA best case is pulling a weekly 1.5-1.6 right now and thats if the program gets really really hot. I said this for years, when people thought Hogan would come in and TNA would magically start pulling 2's weekly I thought they were insane. If they slowly build the product and brand for the next decade, and as longterm fans start getting neilson boxes, the ratings will go up.

I don't think the disparity is that big between WWE' and TNA's viewership (raw having around 5.5million, TNA having around 1.8million). I think people just view TNA as not must see TV, and record it. I think TNA probably has around 2.8million viewers per episode, TNA iMPACT is freely available on SpikeTV's website, available for a year long subscription for $10 on iTunes. The product reaches further then the ratings indicate.

 

[Donners22]

I quite agree. WWE has too much of a foothold and I don't see wrestling ever regaining the sort of fanbase it once had.

All TNA needs to be able to do is be financially stable and produce a solid alternative. Stop stuffing around trying to compete with WWE, just find a safe niche and develop into it.

 

[Stinger Fan]

They can definatley get up there , hell I'd be happy with a cult like following similiar to how ECW had but the problem is TNA makes it hard to have that. Thats what TNA fans want, but they wont give it. If they do, thats how they'll become successful. I too think they wont be extremely successful or huge but I do think they can get very big just not on the level of WWE of course

 

[BORT]

WCW?

 

[riddle rap]

WCW?

its not the 90s anymore.

and its also clear wrestling isn't as star-based as it was then (i know Cena is huge, but he would never come to TNA, and WWE could still pull good ratings without him). cause even big names like RVD and Hardy have come and not much has changed.

WCW brought in Flair, Savage, Hogan, and it made a huge difference. not so much with TNAs signings.

 

[M.S.I.I.]

WCW?

As dude above me said, it's a different time. Wrestilng isn't in high demand anymore. TNA's actually fortunate to be a in a position where they draw a 1.7-1.8 million viewers a week, despite poor show quality.

It's a logical assumption to believe TNA can't succeed. But I don't think they should hang it up until they fail with a better product.

 

[AmWolves10]

You can't compare wrestling to real pro sports. In real pro sports the best players go to the best league for the money. So the other leagues are clearly not going to be as good because of that since all the top players are in the top league. In pro wrestling, there is no clearly defined "best player". Its subjective. WWE gives the most money but they like big roided up stiffs who aren't worth sh*t in the ring. That's this industries' best players. And hence that opens the door for companies like TNA and ROH and other indies to scoop up great wrestlers like AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, etc.That's why you get more parity in wrestling compared to other pro sports where there is just one dominant entity with all the top players.

 

[Jon Staley]

No company will ever get to WWE's level. I doubt anyone will even make it to TNA's level.

 

[acracker]

Stop stuffing around trying to compete with WWE, just find a safe niche and develop into it.

 

[youesay]

tna even if they hit on a great formula will not be at wwes level for a decade and it would take a decade of that formula to even get close to wwe by which time that formula will have gone stale so they are in a bad position. tna is what it is. it needs better arenas and better production but if its anything what it was like when i last watched it its good enough entertainment, ppl who take wrestling too seriously wont like it but its fun.

 

[ManiacMichaelMyers]

Barely read, but TNA has a chance but WWE is so huge its a major uphill battle. The majority of fans prefer WWE style. If TNA "brands" itself its a better show (IMO) but a less competitive show because its less like WWE, if it goes a WWE route, its a long slow steady process and thats what their trying. WWE type draws...a splash of old TNA (like a weak splash) for old school TNA fans, but going wwe route. It's not impossible, just will take a long time, and less idiotic decisions and management ...so yeah at that point, its gotta change or you're 100% right.

For instance, sending a wasted Jeff Hardy to the ring = bad management, and bad Jeff, but for this discussion, bad management decision.

 

[Pinball Wizard Graves]

WWE has got into the subconcious of every wrestling and no wrestling fan. A more apt comparison would be with UFC. If I tell the average mark I am watching MMA and explain what it is (if they do not know) then they are automatically going to think UFC. UFC=MMA. But that doesn't mean Strikeforce can't put on entertaining cards despite not being synonymous with MMA.

TNA, unlike Strikeforce, doesn't have an exciting product that is vastly different from WWE.

 

[nWo-Wolfpac]

TNA tries to draw the same fan base as the WWE if they hand out surveys and do some research as to what fams wanna see and give them that then they'll be okay if TNA is gonna give you the same shit as the WWE and tape it then you can read the spoilers, and if you feels its worth it then watch it where the WWE you tune in every monday night

 

[roberta]

stop with tna we understand that you don't like it but don't try to make everybody else feel the same way that you do ,so go watch wwe please

 

[Kingleviathan]

I'm sure people were saying the same thing back in 1994 when it was assumed wrestling would never be big again and that WCW would never overtake WWE. In fact the market at the moment is earily similar with WWE not creating anymore stars and alot of young talent in TNA.

 

[LDMsmooch]

Not with their current set-up and operations, no. They can reach a certain level but they don't have the structure in place to take that next step up.

 

[BORT]

its not the 90s anymore.

So? What does that have do with anything?

and its also clear wrestling isn't as star-based as it was then (i know Cena is huge, but he would never come to TNA, and WWE could still pull good ratings without him). cause even big names like RVD and Hardy have come and not much has changed.

WCW brought in Flair, Savage, Hogan, and it made a huge difference. not so much with TNAs signings.

Cmon now you're comparing FLAIR, SAVAGE, and HOGAN who are some of the greatest of ALL TIME to the signings of RVD and Jeff Hardy....OF COURSE they would make a bigger difference. Everyone knew RVD wasn't gonna bring in ratings and Jeff Hardy isn't known as a ratings booster. Jeff today is only half of what they were back then.

As dude above me said, it's a different time. Wrestilng isn't in high demand anymore. TNA's actually fortunate to be a in a position where they draw a 1.7-1.8 million viewers a week, despite poor show quality.

It's a logical assumption to believe TNA can't succeed. But I don't think they should hang it up until they fail with a better product.

It's not logical at all because there's still a whole mess of untapped wrestling fans still watching Raw every Monday while at the same time not giving a second of their time to Impact. Raw has 5.5 million viewers while TNA has only 1.8. Why aren't the rest of those 5.5 million still not tuning into Impact? When it comes to the number of wrestling fans out there TNA has only hit the tip of the iceberg.

 

[M4ttz0]

TNA is not going to be in the same league as the WWE for at least ten years, the problem with TNA (in my opinion, because i'm no expert) is that they want alot of ratings and success in a short period of time.

 

[USAUSA1]

They can reach that level but they need more wrestling people involve that have a clue. The reason why WCW succeeded is because they had Kevin Sullivan,Mike Graham,Dusty Rhodes,Ric Flair,Orndorff,people that knew wrestling and knew what succeeded. I bet Ric Flair would make a good head writer for TNA if he gets his act together. I think TNA should fire Russo and bring in Finlay.