Is TNA's Move To Monday Night A Mistake?

[Demon 73]

I want to know if anyone else besides me thinks that the decision to move Impact to Monday night is a huge mistake? All during last night's episode of Impact, Taz and Tenay kept talking about how they are going to conquer Monday nights starting March 8th. How is this going to happen when they can't even conquer Thursdays? That's a big statement for them to be making already and is in my opinion very premature and is going to come back to bite them in the butt.

I have my reasons for thinking this. A lot of TNA's audience are people like myself who are fans of wrestling and watch both shows. If people are going to be forced to choose between the two, going by ratings of one program on Monday compared to the other on Thursday, the WWE is going to win hands down. So looking at this logically, won't TNA's ratings go down instead of up? Eric Bischoff claimed in an interview that he isn't concerned about ratings right now but instead taking a chunk of Raw's audience. If people who normally watch both shows are going to be made to choose, won't this take away from Impact's audience instead? This just seems like a logical conclusion to me.

I guess to sum it up I feel that if TNA thinks they are going to come to Mondays and take WWE's audience they are going to be disappointed. If I'm forced to choose, I'll no longer be a viewer of TNA and I have watched it religiously for a long time now. Impact barely gets a third of the ratings that Raw gets right now. How is this going to increase when fans of both programs choose the more popular show?

The only factor that may change this is if people dvr one and watch the other. The problem with this is that Monday is a big night for television year round and I would venture to guess that most WWE fans are loyal to other programs on Mondays as well.

This isn't a TNA bashing thread. I want to make that clear. As I've said, I have watched Impact religiously for a long time now. And I sincerely hope that each program does great because that will only benefit the wrestling fans and force both to produce great programming. I am just being realistic.

You are right on the money Tugboat.. I have tuned in the odd time to catch snippets of TNA and the set just looks so... cheesy and the atmosphere is like they have just finished taping a game show. The WWE is ten times more 'professional' looking. Kind of like the Queen Mary 2 to TNA's S.S Minnow. Granted TNA has tremendous young talent, yet all we see is former WWE star signs with TNA. Seen it, and it didn't work then and it won't work this time. Now I see Flair and Hogan will be making in ring debuts? Lord help us all.

I will be perfectly honest, I used to stay up to watch RAW each and every Monday, but then went to taping it and sometimes watching it, sometimes relying on this site for highlights. Ever since January 4th I have watched it each and every week again. Yeah the guest hosts are sometimes annoying... Ricky Hatton and Mike Tyson were very painfull to watch. I think and interesting twist to the Bret Hart storyline is that if Cena beats Batista for the title, Cena gets the belt, Hart gets to be the RAW GM.... Wouldn't that be cool? Hart has said he doesn't have much to do until his girlfriend is finished school...

I seriously think that TNA will be sniffing the rims of the well polished vehicle that is the WWE for some time. Moving to Monday nights may start well, but will fade, especially the more 'ol wrasslers' turn up. Who is next, Jake Roberts? Maybe Warrior for crying out loud. Eric and Hogan have to stop looking to the past to solidify the future of TNA. I am sure once Hogan has padded his bank account, he and Eric will be the first ones out of the boat.

 

[sukhbirsl]

Of course it is. TNA expects to put the WWE out of business.
They draw a 1.5 cable rating. And decide to go against Vince Mcmahon.
Sure they have more adult content, but they cant put a billion dollar company out, even if they have Ric flair, Kurt angle, Booker T or Hulk Hogan.
By the end of all of this TNA will end up being bought by Vince.

 

[Ambiguous Turd]

You're sure people aren't watching on Monday nights because of RAW?? That's a really lame arguement.

Well, it is a lame argument to those that have the intelligence of a pea, like yourself.

To others that are capable of actual logic, it makes perfect sense.

Yes, the wrestling audience is tuning in Monday night because that is what their behavior has been accustomed to since 1993. That audience is watching Raw at the present time. Now, if you think that entire audience is satisfied watching Raw, then you are mistaken.

But unfortunately, fans are too lazy to change their viewing habits. They have become accustomed to watching on Monday nights so that is what they do. So therefore, since they won't tune in on Thursday nights and many still aren't aware that TNA even exists, it makes more sense to bring your product on Monday night, where the largest audience of wrestling viewers currently is .... and offer them another product alternative to WWE.

This is not rocket science and this is exactly what WCW Monday Nitro did. People blasted that show as a mistake in taking on the WWF and look where it got them? They overtook the WWF and led the ratings war for practically 3 years from Sep '95- Sep '98.

When you offer viewers choices and at their convenience, many are bound to take you up on the offer. And I have the utmost confidence people want a product alternative to Raw. They simply aren't willing to change their viewing habits from watching on Monday nights. So that's fine. TNA will simply go to them.

I don't sit down with my calendar and say to myself, "Hey, Monday seems like the best night for me to partake in a little pro wrestling viewing, screw the other nights of the week!" If you schedule your life that way, congrats, but I'm just not that particular.

More people tune in on Mondays for wrestling because of Raw. If it was aired live on Wednesday, I would be willing to bet they'd, as you said, "set aside Wednesday night for watching wrestling". They like the show, they like the product, and I'm not talking about the handful of jackasses that bash the WWE on these forums either. They're irrelevant in the big picture. I'm talking about the entire viewing audience, the people that create the ratings by tuning in.

Useless replying to this, since I addressed this above, and you obviously missed the point being made.

I've watched TNA, I enjoy some of the wrestlers and their movesets, but they still feel very low-budget to me from a viewer's standpoint. Will it change with time? Perhaps, but they might just run themselves into the ground going head to head with the 800lb Gorilla that is RAW.

The same thing was said about WCW, as well. And they overtook the WWE until something else was offered to the viewers on Monday nights.

Obviously you're not the viewer that WWE is coveting. They want the widest exposure with the deepest pockets. There's no shame in that, it's business. You can argue about tradition, pride, etc...but there's a bottom line and that's profitability. If you're doing this for the "love of the sport" you're likely going to be remembered as a very noble person, but also a very short-lived, bankrupt one.

Yes, WWE is catering to children and people who are willing to tolerate shit. Since I am not, it clearly is not for me. It's more suited for you.

 

[wazaveli]

While they did do well against the WWE on January 4th, it was a one off show. It had a lot of hype plus the rumoured names made it impossible not to tune in.

Their thursday night hit a 1.4 and they were rolling but there latest rating is a 1.14 which means the audience is going down. Now this happening on Monday, if they were to get a big rating on March 8th, would be down right embarrasing and a monumental waste of time and hype.

Me personally, I watch TNA. WWE bores me, seriously, Ive watched wrestling all my life and I can't watch that show. I don't even want to explain it, I jst turn it on when I get home from work, find myself staring into space after 15 mins and change channel but I watch TNA every week.

Being in Australia, I don't know how this is going to pan out in the States but I'm sure anyone who wants a good tv show will watch TNA. The new Monday Night Wars will get interesting!

 

[MisterRob]

Well, it is a lame argument to those that have the intelligence of a pea, like yourself.

To others that are capable of actual logic, it makes perfect sense.

Yes, the wrestling audience is tuning in Monday night because that is what their behavior has been accustomed to since 1993. That audience is watching Raw at the present time. Now, if you think that entire audience is satisfied watching Raw, then you are mistaken.

But unfortunately, fans are too lazy to change their viewing habits. They have become accustomed to watching on Monday nights so that is what they do. So therefore, since they won't tune in on Thursday nights and many still aren't aware that TNA even exists, it makes more sense to bring your product on Monday night, where the largest audience of wrestling viewers currently is .... and offer them another product alternative to WWE.

This is not rocket science and this is exactly what WCW Monday Nitro did. People blasted that show as a mistake in taking on the WWF and look where it got them? They overtook the WWF and led the ratings war for practically 3 years from Sep '95- Sep '98.

Who are you trying to fool? The audience on Mondays is there for a lot more reason then just watching RAW, but the fact is is that RAW's audience is watching RAW not because they're lazy, not because they're too brainwashed to tune out, but because they WANT to watch. Your argument is ridiculous. I don't enjoy WWE's product anymore, so I don't watch.. that's common sense. And if you think TNA's product has a chance of being an alternative that cuts into WWE's fan base, well, that's wishful thinking to the exaggerated degree. TNA went head to head with WWE, and when the shows were competing at the same time they lost viewers and gained nothing. TNA's product has dropped in ratings consistently ever since.

And comparing TNA to WCW is entirely flawed. That's like comparing apples and oranges. WCW already had a large fan base and was at a very good place when Nitro started. Nitro didn't start in the 1's, they were competing with WWE right off the bat because their product had already been built, already had an established and large fan base, and they were doing things right. Maybe you should know what you're talking about and do your research to find out what Nitro's ratings were when they started, because they had three times the audience TNA has now. TNA isn't in the same place as WCW was during the Monday Night wars in any possible way, and that's why TNA is going to fail, because instead of taking the steps needed to get to the point where they can move to Monday's and succeed, they're jumping the shark and are going to flop right on their face. It's a shame, and unfortunately probably not a lesson they'll be able to learn from.

When you offer viewers choices and at their convenience, many are bound to take you up on the offer. And I have the utmost confidence people want a product alternative to Raw. They simply aren't willing to change their viewing habits from watching on Monday nights. So that's fine. TNA will simply go to them.

So why isn't TNA offering an alternative to WWE's product?

The same thing was said about WCW, as well. And they overtook the WWE until something else was offered to the viewers on Monday nights.

Once again, this is flawed logic because WCW and TNA have nothing in common when you get right down to it.

 

[mister630]

No, it is not a mistake, as long as TNA can deliver and deliver regularly. I believe a move to Monday Night's will light a fire under both companies. Currently, TNA isn't really competing with WWE and WWE isn't really competing with TNA, because fans can watch both each week. But what's going to happen when TNA goes live on Mondays? Now we have to choose. And yes, in the beginning TNA will most likely get slaughtered. However, it is my belief that if TNA can put on a consistently better show than WWE, over the course of a few months time, they will begin gaining in ratings. They have the talent, they have the two people who gave Vince a run for his money last time, but can they put all of the pieces together to become successful? That's up to them to write compelling and interesting stories, and us to watch said stories. Personally, I'm pulling for TNA because I believe if they elevate their game, WWE will be forced to elevate theirs as well, leading to awesome television whether or not it was a mistake.

 

[tarzan2490]

I have to agree to somewhat lol, Raw's all about John Cena for the past 3 years, id rather watch midgets try to play thumbwar's. Tna's fresh its new, its impact, wwe is dull, its old, its predictable, WWE is the perfect for what they do, for kids, tna is for the the older people. I just think its funny how people judge TNA for bringing in old guys when vince brings in a stroke victim...Goodjob Vince you deserve an academy award

 

[Little Jerry Lawler]

I have to agree to somewhat lol, Raw's all about John Cena for the past 3 years, id rather watch midgets try to play thumbwar's. Tna's fresh its new, its impact, wwe is dull, its old, its predictable, WWE is the perfect for what they do, for kids, tna is for the the older people. I just think its funny how people judge TNA for bringing in old guys when vince brings in a stroke victim...Goodjob Vince you deserve an academy award

That stroke victim is one of the best wrestlers to ever step foot in a ring and better than almost every one TNA has got. TNA has problems just like WWE but theirs are more noticeable. If they want to compete with the WWE, they are going to have cut down the roster because nobody wants to see useless people who come around once a month. Most of their new acquisitions aren't doing so well are they? Kendrick lost in three minutes to Kaz, who knows where Hardy is, and Wolfe loses more than he wins.

If TNA can barely get a 1.2 rating on a Thursday night, what makes you think that they can do any better on Mondays. RAW has been way better than TNA this past month and it is just getting better so TNA may have picked the wrong time to try and compete with WWE.

 

[tarzan2490]

That stroke victim is one of the best wrestlers to ever step foot in a ring and better than almost every one TNA has got. TNA has problems just like WWE but theirs are more noticeable. If they want to compete with the WWE, they are going to have cut down the roster because nobody wants to see useless people who come around once a month. Most of their new acquisitions aren't doing so well are they? Kendrick lost in three minutes to Kaz, who knows where Hardy is, and Wolfe loses more than he wins.

If TNA can barely get a 1.2 rating on a Thursday night, what makes you think that they can do any better on Mondays. RAW has been way better than TNA this past month and it is just getting better so TNA may have picked the wrong time to try and compete with WWE.

No disrespect to hart, hes done alot for the wwe, im just sayin you wwe fans dog on tna bringing in "OLD" wrestlers expect it back in your face. Kendrick is half the wrestler Kaz is so thats out the question SORRY, Hardy said hes not wrestling till legal issues so nice try..And wolfe, did he not just start to get into a thing with ric flair and aj????

Tna may not be drawing your right, but if vince does the same stuff week after week...with a new wrestling show on monday's im pretty sure something might change...so get your stuff straight, might help ya.

 

[Little Jerry Lawler]

No disrespect to hart, hes done alot for the wwe, im just sayin you wwe fans dog on tna bringing in "OLD" wrestlers expect it back in your face. Kendrick is half the wrestler Kaz is so thats out the question SORRY, Hardy said hes not wrestling till legal issues so nice try..And wolfe, did he not just start to get into a thing with ric flair and aj????

Tna may not be drawing your right, but if vince does the same stuff week after week...with a new wrestling show on monday's im pretty sure something might change...so get your stuff straight, might help ya.

I think you mean TNA bringing in old WWE wrestlers and why shouldn't the WWE bring back a WWE legend? I think it is you that needs to get their facts straight about your complaints. We could get into a discussion about how bland and uninteresting Kaz is but he isn't worth my time so he's done with.

If Vince keeps doing the same stuff week after week as he has done in recent weeks which has been great, then he will not fear TNA one bit. TNA has done a decent job with their young superstars but their roster is too large and they need to just cut out the fat if they want to get serious. WWE has been the best it has been this past month in a while and TNA has picked the wrong time to try to compete especially on the Road to Wrestlemania. Maybe if their premiere PPV was around the same time as WM, then maybe I would understand but it's not so I don't.

 

[Dagger Dias]

Moving Impact to monday nights longterm is not necessarily a mistake. They made their highest rating ever the last time they went head to head against Raw. We can't expect them to beat Raw immediately in the ratings, TNA have decided to take a huge risk by doing this and it might pay off. However, doing this during The Road to Wrestlemania, is not the best idea in the world. If TNA can survive through until after Wrestlemania, then they have a chance because WWE shows always go downhill in quality during late spring and the summer. As for how Taz and Tenay kept talking about taking over Monday nights.... it's an announcer's job to put over the product and exaggerate how good it is, every single wrestling announcer does it.

The whole issue of "having to pick a show" will come into play. I'm lucky enough to have multiple tv's in my apartment so I'm going to watch both shows. Then there's all the people who will have to pick a show. That's honestly a good thing because both federations will try to put on a better product, resulting in better tv. Sounds awfully familiar, doesn't it? We won't know until it happens. Those who say they will only watch one show don't know what's going to happen. If you like WWE better, who's to say TNA won't do something so awesome one week that you have to tune in to Impact during a boring match on Raw and see what the hype is about? It could happen, and vice versa.

TNA didn't make a mistake at all because competition creates better products which means more money for the federations and a greater show for the fans. As long as there is competition, everyone wins.

 

[luis_is_king]

I mean sure TNA has nothing to lose and has everything to gain but if they don't show their A-game for let's say a 2-3 week stretch that would be crucial for them because they're the challenger.
As for the WWE I think they're gonna stay PG for a while coz they are catering to children now and Linda Mcmahon is said to be running for a seat in the U.S. senate and w/ what happened to Eddie and Benoit they're trying to make the WWE look good in a sense that it won't affect Linda's image. But hey the PG era still kicks tna's sorry ass so there's no need for change.

 

[BladeRunner]

Honestly to me, looking at it as a viewer and not as what it will do for whatever company, it's annoying.

I'm used to watching TNA on thursdays. Been watching it for years.

Y'know, you had a wrestling show almost every night of the week then.

You had Monday's RAW. Then ECW, then TNA, then Smackdown.

Now it's all going to be bunched together.

Not to mention I always want to watch 24 on monday's too.

So now I'll have 3 shows all at the same time that I want to watch.

I would have prefered TNA stay where it is just for my own convenience.

Now what am I going to watch on thursdays?

 

[[email protected]]

I think TNA moving to Monday Nights is a very Huge mistake because they do not have as many wrestlers that can Draw the ratings like the wwe does with starts like Randy Orton John Cena Triple H HBK and i would not be surprised if they wind up moving edge back to Raw win they do the WWE Draft this year.

 

[nwojeff]

I don't think the move itself is a mistake, but i don't like the timing. I do see the point that some people have brought up, that this is the time of year when the most casual viewers are likely to tune in, but they are most likely to tune into the WWE in March, not the competition, because this is the season of Wrestlemania.

I would have liked to see TNA wait at least until Monday, April 5, eight days after Wrestlemania, but they've made their decision and are going ahead full force with it, and I wish them luck. I hope they don't get destroyed as bad as I expect them to the first four or five weeks.

But another way to look at this is they will probably do much better ratings in April than they do in March, and they can show Spike drastic progress in just a month's time, even though the improvement will really be due to the simple fact that the excitement surrounding Wrestlemania will have worn off by early to mid April.