Declining Ratings: Coincidence or Booking?

[JJYanks121]

In browsing the internet yesterday, I came across some interesting information as it pertains to TNA's ratings:

Thursday night's episode of iMPACT! Wrestling did a 0.93 (0.9) cable rating, with 1.17 million viewers, down 21% and 22% respectively from last week's 1.11 rating and 1.43 million viewers. It is the lowest rating of the year and the lowest since November's Thanksgiving episode; the viewership was the lowest since October 11th. The show did hours of 0.82 and 1.03.

Now, this isn't me trying to stir the pot and question whether the product has been entertaining. What I am going to ask though, is whether this rating, and the fact that ratings have gone down each week since Lockdown, are a coincidence or if there's a reason that we can pinpoint.

First off, lets consider that these weeks were largely unopposed on television. Before the last couple of weeks, TNA was competing with the NCAA tournament which always brings in its fair share of ratings. With no sporting events truly dominating the ratings, it's not as though there's a built in excuse for this decline. Rather, they simply have gone down. Now, we have to ask, why?

Obviously, anything is possible, but I want to offer up the choices of coincidence (simply that ratings have hit a lull) or whether the reasoning is a bit deeper.

Remember that this past week's show was a live show and was hyped up for a couple of weeks with two title matches on the show. Thus, I'd like to think that TNA officials were looking for a ratings pop for this show, not a ratings decline. So when it happened, you have to try and find reasoning.

There were two solid matches, some decent segments, and storylines seem to be developing naturally, so why are people tuning out?

I'd like to offer out a theory and it is this theory that will be at the crux of the thread: People have seen this before.

At Lockdown, a new heel champion was crowned and said heel turned from babyface status to become champion. In doing so, he also revealed himself as part of the latest megaheel faction. For the second time in two years, when such a "shocking" heel turn happened in TNA, trash littered the ring as a clear allusion to the Hogan turn of 1996.

At the same time, a babyface superstar is going through changes. He doesn't know who to trust and he isn't saying much. He's taken to wearing black and his mysteriousness has become his most notable trait. As a result, the babyfaces want to know if he's with them while the heel stable is trying to recruit them.

Sound familiar?

While we know that storylines are often repeated in wrestling as "there are only so many ideas", these in particular seem to be following WCW's most famous year almost shot for shot. With these two interwoven stories, you have the focus of TNA's product, and I would theorize that this time around, the similarities to the famous storyline simply can't be masked. It is the story we all know and many loved back in 1997 with it being clear as to which 2013 TNA wrestlers are playing the 1997 counterparts. People have seen this story before and I'd theorize that they are tuning out because they know they've seen it.

Now, it remains to be seen whether this trend will continue or whether the ratings will be rectified in the coming weeks, but I'll ask the question now as we stare in the face of TNA's lowest ratings in 6 months. Are ratings down out of coincidence or are the booking similarities reason for declining ratings?

 

[shattered dreams]

If I had to guess with out doing some research I think it would simply be wrestling burnout. Would be an interesting week to know the DVR numbers. Not a good sign regardless but you'd have to be a moron to fixate on a one week rating. I don't think similarities to a story that happened once, before at least a fifth of the WWE audience was born, would crack my top ten theories. Especially when that was the one thing the live crowd was actually in to.

 

[klunderbunker]

Bully won the title on March 10. That means he's been champion for five Impacts now. If my memory is right, only the fourth one (April 4's show) showed an increase in the ratings from the previous week. The March 14 show had no tournament to go up against and still went down. The April 4 show was the first week with no NCAA Tournament game on in a few weeks and ratings went up slightly. Then there was this week, which was live and built as a major show. There was no basketball and nothing significant on TV that I can remember. This isn't just a one night thing. It's been a trend since Ray won the title.

Now the question is why. The shows have been FAR better quality since Ray took the title and the Aces and 8's stopped being a bunch of losers. However, the people still aren't watching, even with a big show like Thursdays with a big world title match airing.

Maybe it's people being tired of Aces and 8's in general. As I've said many times before: a few good shows doesn't make up for nine months of dreadful ones. The fans may just be tired of watching these guys.

However, there's one reason above all others that is causing this: Bubba Ray Dudley is TNA World Champion. Now yes, I completely agree that Ray is on the run of a lifetime at the moment and is the best heel in the company and well deserving of the TNA World Title. The problem is if you're trying to tell a casual fan to watch the show, it's hard to sell them on a guy that they likely know for shouting D-VON GET THE TABLES for years on end. Yeah if they watch the show they'll see how good he is, but getting them to watch is the big problem. For fans who watch every week regardless it's not an issue, but for a fan who might watch every few weeks or is a WWE fan, it isn't doing them any favors.

 

[akathelaw]

Well one thing is for sure, the Bellator partnership did nothing for TNA. What they have failed to do is grow their audience, and Spike TV hasn't helped at all. It's time to get Impact on a new TV network. MTV is clearly the best option for growing the audience, and with the right promotion all of the current fans would tune in on the new channel. Smackdown hopped networks a few times before landing on Syfy where it holds solid weekly ratings. Impact could do well on TBS or TNT, if Turner decided to give wrestling another chance. USA network dropped Raw before, and welcomed them back. Any way they can, the next step is to abandon Spike, before it's dropped by more providers.

 

[shattered dreams]

Bully won the title on March 10. That means he's been champion for five Impacts now. If my memory is right, only the fourth one (April 4's show) showed an increase in the ratings from the previous week. The March 14 show had no tournament to go up against and still went down. The April 4 show was the first week with no NCAA Tournament game on in a few weeks and ratings went up slightly. Then there was this week, which was live and built as a major show. There was no basketball and nothing significant on TV that I can remember. This isn't just a one night thing. It's been a trend since Ray won the title.

Now the question is why. The shows have been FAR better quality since Ray took the title and the Aces and 8's stopped being a bunch of losers. However, the people still aren't watching, even with a big show like Thursdays with a big world title match airing.

Maybe it's people being tired of Aces and 8's in general. As I've said many times before: a few good shows doesn't make up for nine months of dreadful ones. The fans may just be tired of watching these guys.

However, there's one reason above all others that is causing this: Bubba Ray Dudley is TNA World Champion. Now yes, I completely agree that Ray is on the run of a lifetime at the moment and is the best heel in the company and well deserving of the TNA World Title. The problem is if you're trying to tell a casual fan to watch the show, it's hard to sell them on a guy that they likely know for shouting D-VON GET THE TABLES for years on end. Yeah if they watch the show they'll see how good he is, but getting them to watch is the big problem. For fans who watch every week regardless it's not an issue, but for a fan who might watch every few weeks or is a WWE fan, it isn't doing them any favors.

Not buying this either.

Since Bully won the title 1.1(1.41 mil viewers), 1.1(1.39 mil viewers), 1.0(1.31 mil viewers)vs NCAA sweet 16, 1.1(1.43 mil viewers), then this recent week where his match with Jeff basically did a 1.1 and was by far the highest rated part of the show. It isn't Bully. In fact I think the last time TNA did 5 out of 6 consecutive shows 1.1 or greater was in January-February 2012. Which is what they had done going into this surprising week.

 

[louchratis]

Bully Ray is an entertaining wrestler but he isn't a draw and hasn't been one in a while. I'm aware the IWC is made up of huge Bully Ray marks but the casual wrestling fan turns on Impact, sees Bubba Ray Dudley holding the title, laughs, and changes the station. He deserves to hold the title based on his overall body of work but by rewarding loyalty TNA is burying its own product.

 

[Spinebreaker]

My guess would be burnout for the casual fans...

Now, I firmly believe that a majority of TNA and WWE viewers are NOT casual fans. Just like any TV show, the biggest portion of the people watching it are real fans.

Now, even your casual fans watched 'Mania, and probably the follow up Raw... Maybe they DVR'd X-travaganza... That's approaching 10 hours of wrestling in just a week or so.

Now for most of us, people who spend an hour or so on here having a dicussion about wrestling when we aren't watching, that's fine... Gimme the 10 hours and then some!

Casual fans? No way. I think, quite simply, that 20% (or so) amounts to TNA's casual fans...

 

[Zeven_Zion]

Apparently we're still living in an era where the Champion determines the ratings. This would be correct if this were the WWE circa 2013, WCW circa [insert a 90's year here] or the WWF in the 90's.

None of this really applies to TNA. Nobody in TNA draws. I can't prove it, but that's just my hunch so take it for what you will. By draws I mean the guy that people want to see and tune in to see and pay to see. A Cena, a Hogan. No one in TNA is a must watch guy, no one in TNA delivers ALL the time, no one in TNA puts "butts in seats", no one in TNA is THE MAN.

That being said, the ratings being down shouldn't be attributed to Bully. As far as I can tell, nothing changed ratings wise ever since Roode was Champion. It's always around the good 'ol 0.9 - 1.1 mark.

Whether it's Aces and Eights or Immortal, the rating never goes below 0.9, never goes above 1.1. Whether there are no huge factions raping TNA, the rating never goes below 0.9, never goes above 1.1. Whether TNA is in the Impact Zone or on the road, the rating never goes below 0.9, never goes above 1.1. Whether TNA is in the UK or the US, the rating never goes below 0.9, never goes above 1.1. Whether they push the fuck out of the X-Division or push known stars, the rating never goes below 0.9, never goes above 1.1. REGARDLESS OF WHAT HAPPENS, unless TNA is moving to Mondays, the rating never goes below 0.9, never goes above 1.1.

TNA is stuck, frozen, GLUED to those numbers. Nothing on the air pisses people off enough to drop the show and nothing is so good that it draws them in and keeps them watching.

We've seen the show go through all kinds of changes. We've seen all kinds of people as the World Champion, from IWC darlings to famous wrestlers to TNA originals. We've seen the sign originals, we've seen them sign "WWE rejects", we've seen them run cool storylines, we've seen them run diarrhea drenched storylines. We've seen everything, good or bad, and the rating does not change.

What does that tell you? It's not the product, it's the exposure. The same fucking people keep watching, with minor fluctuations. The same people keep caring, the same people follow the company as it changes, for better or for worse.

2011 or 2012 or 2013 the product has remained pretty much the same, with minor improvements and a freshened up divisions and main event scene, and the rating has not MOVED in either direction. State of flux out the ass.

It isn't down, it isn't up, it just IS.

This shit is clearly more complicated than "makez teh produkt good TNGay". I doubt a bunch of pissants like us will figure it out and I'm glad I'm not TNA right now because this is a tough spot.

Either way, I keep loving it. As long as they're on the air and doing something cool, I'm a happy guy. My personal take is that their marketing department or whoever tries to get the product out needs to get their shit together because it just isn't the product. If it was, WWE would be in a helluva worse state right now, or for the past few years, because that company has seen some dark ages and the rating has been the same as it is now or during Wrestlemania Season.

This opens up another can of worms, about the state of pro wrestling in general. Maybe, just maybe, both products are average at best and the reason why the ratings never go up or down is because both companies are being watched by a combination of kids who just discovered wrestling and grown ups who can't let go? Wrestling doesn't interest the people anymore and it is sustained by the marks and the big kids who just won't let go. The remnants of a once enormous audience.

'Cause hey, WWE has a marketing team, WWE has exposure, WWE has all the things TNA doesn't and more, yet their ratings are in the same spot TNA's are. Not up, not down, same old region. So if WWE can't do it with SO MANY RESOURCES, then this isn't a discussion about TNA, this is a discussion about pro wrestling my brothas. If this was WWE's ratings going up and TNA being frozen, you got a point. But it isn't. Something to think about.

Average content + wrestling loyalists = no interest resulting in a perfect equilibrum of bullshit.

Fact is, it's been this way for at least 5 years now and I stopped giving a shit after year 3. I've said this before and I've said it again, anyone dreaming of another boom in wrestling is just a fucking idiot. It's a dying genre, it's a thing of the past, Television is reality based, movies are reality based, it's the new trend, doesn't have to BE real just "look" real and people will eat it up. And then you have wrestling with some blatanly fake shit and dancing wrestlers and biker gangs and of course it won't work. IT'S THE SAME BULLSHIT SINCE THE 80'S! Same spots, same storylines, same moves, same good guys, same bad guys, same ref distractions, same botches. Whether it's Bully touching a table and it crumbling under his index finger (perfectly split in half) or some other both, wrestling will always have a moment where it'll show you just how stupid it really is.

Wrestling is passe, shut the fuck up about "why is it not growing". Be glad it's not shrinking at a fast rate.

 

[JJYanks121]

I don't think this discussion should turn to whether Bully Ray can draw as champion. Sure, it's probably part of the equation, but it's not the whole thing certainly. Also, we're not talking about why a champion isn't able to pull in new viewers, we're talking about why people who were viewers are tuning out. I proposed a theory to that and so too has KB in a sense. I'm still asking whether there's validity to my theory.

Look at it like this. My favorite movie is Scarface. If you were to make a movie today and call it Miami: Drug Capital and it would literally follow the plot of Scarface shot for shot, would you be into it? Or would you think it was a knock off that isn't very original. Plus, the main guy is Mark Wahlberg who, while good, isn't Al Pacino.

I'm simply suggesting that people might see this is a cheap knock off and that won't help ratings. Keep in mind that much of Impact's audience likely has seen WCW 1997 or at the very least was aware of it so if we're talking about that core 1 million or so, you are going to get a percentage of those people that know they've seen this and seen it done better. That's what I'm suggesting and that if they think that, they may not feel like tuning in.

However, since SD suggested that Bully Ray's match was the highest rated thing this past week, lets go a step further. In 1997, the undercard had some decent feuds in DDP/Savage and a lot of people dug the 2-3 cruiserweight/TV/US title type matches per show that were more about the wrestling. The variety was excellent. Perhaps the lack of options for viewers hurts as well as wrestling is often "something for everyone" but with the focus solely on one overlying storyline, either you like it or you don't.

Is my first theory more accurate? The second? You decide.

 

[Zeven_Zion]

I don't think this discussion should turn to whether Bully Ray can draw as champion. Sure, it's probably part of the equation, but it's not the whole thing certainly. Also, we're not talking about why a champion isn't able to pull in new viewers, we're talking about why people who were viewers are tuning out. I proposed a theory to that and so too has KB in a sense. I'm still asking whether there's validity to my theory.

Look at it like this. My favorite movie is Scarface. If you were to make a movie today and call it Miami: Drug Capital and it would literally follow the plot of Scarface shot for shot, would you be into it? Or would you think it was a knock off that isn't very original. Plus, the main guy is Mark Wahlberg who, while good, isn't Al Pacino.

I'm simply suggesting that people might see this is a cheap knock off and that won't help ratings. Keep in mind that much of Impact's audience likely has seen WCW 1997 or at the very least was aware of it so if we're talking about that core 1 million or so, you are going to get a percentage of those people that know they've seen this and seen it done better. That's what I'm suggesting and that if they think that, they may not feel like tuning in.

However, since SD suggested that Bully Ray's match was the highest rated thing this past week, lets go a step further. In 1997, the undercard had some decent feuds in DDP/Savage and a lot of people dug the 2-3 cruiserweight/TV/US title type matches per show that were more about the wrestling. The variety was excellent. Perhaps the lack of options for viewers hurts as well as wrestling is often "something for everyone" but with the focus solely on one overlying storyline, either you like it or you don't.

Is my first theory more accurate? The second? You decide.

It does make sense, based on the similarities of the periods and so on so it is a valid option and a valid theory. Could be, but maybe it isn't. It's a theory so good thing you're not pawning it off as a fact.

But one thing I've noticed with these shows is that the ratings would go up and down for no reason. I've seen some good shows and it went down. I've seen some shit shows and it went up. This is, of course, through my prism and my understanding of what "good" is.

Either way, who knows. Maybe you're right. Maybe you have exceptional skills when it comes to pattern recognition. However, just because something make sense doesn't mean it's anywhere near the truth.

And even if it is true and TNA realizes it, what are they gonna do? Change shit overnight? I've seen them start a storyline, fuck up, realize they fucked up and stick with it for months for the sake of the plot.

It's complicated it. I'm glad I stopped overthinking these things like you do and noticing stuff like that, I would've probably started watching Chikara out of desperation.

Anyway, who cares, TNA will die and WWE will buy it next week because Hogan is an egomaniac and Dixie is a mark. And Hogan is an egomaniac. 'Cause egomaniacs never succeed in wrestling.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

For all of this year, TNA has been doing noticeably better in the ratings, with the exception of this past Thursday, than they were doing last year. The 4/11 rating was something more along the lines of what TNA drew through much of last year. In 2013, however, they've generally been doing what was pretty normal for them almost every week, generally somewhere in the 1.1 to 1.15 rating range and 1.3 to 1.5 million viewers.

What's shocked people over this is the irony of the most heavily hyped & promoted episode of Impact Wrestling of the year, thus far, drew the worst numbers of the year. Sometimes, ratings do go up and down for no apparent reason, or shows that are expected to do big numbers do maybe average or even below average. The post WM Raw, for instance, was a show that many probably expected to do huge ratings but it generally drew what was generally normal.

Probably the most obvious guess, though certainly not the only explanation, is that there just wasn't anything happening on the show that interested many regular viewers other than the main event. According to the quarterly ratings report, the only segments on the show to draw a 1.0 or above included Q7, which featured Hardy & Ray's intro plus the first 4 or 5 minutes of the match and Q8, which featured the rest of the match & show. Those two segments drew a 1.06 and 1.13 respectively, far & away the most watched portion of the show.

Ratings often do have peaks & valleys. It's said a lot but it's true. Last Thursday's rating may have been just something of a fluke and the show will bounce back next week. If so, then this show's rating may just have simply been some kind of anomaly.

 

[shattered dreams]

I don't think this discussion should turn to whether Bully Ray can draw as champion. Sure, it's probably part of the equation, but it's not the whole thing certainly. Also, we're not talking about why a champion isn't able to pull in new viewers, we're talking about why people who were viewers are tuning out. I proposed a theory to that and so too has KB in a sense. I'm still asking whether there's validity to my theory.

Look at it like this. My favorite movie is Scarface. If you were to make a movie today and call it Miami: Drug Capital and it would literally follow the plot of Scarface shot for shot, would you be into it? Or would you think it was a knock off that isn't very original. Plus, the main guy is Mark Wahlberg who, while good, isn't Al Pacino.

I'm simply suggesting that people might see this is a cheap knock off and that won't help ratings. Keep in mind that much of Impact's audience likely has seen WCW 1997 or at the very least was aware of it so if we're talking about that core 1 million or so, you are going to get a percentage of those people that know they've seen this and seen it done better. That's what I'm suggesting and that if they think that, they may not feel like tuning in.

However, since SD suggested that Bully Ray's match was the highest rated thing this past week, lets go a step further. In 1997, the undercard had some decent feuds in DDP/Savage and a lot of people dug the 2-3 cruiserweight/TV/US title type matches per show that were more about the wrestling. The variety was excellent. Perhaps the lack of options for viewers hurts as well as wrestling is often "something for everyone" but with the focus solely on one overlying storyline, either you like it or you don't.

Is my first theory more accurate? The second? You decide.

Assuming there is some sort of quality factor involved (still far from convinced this more than a one week thing) I would tend to guess at something like your second theory. At the moment TNA isn't doing stories on the rest of the card much at all, they are putting on solid matches in those spots and then having that one dominate story. It was producing some of there best consistent ratings in a while up until this past week though so I am not sure if this approach was/is good or bad. I guess time will tell. A shit quality pg-13 scarface remake would likely make at least as much profit as WWE does in a year.

What is Swamp People?

 

[It's...Baylariat!]

What ratings break down for are simply how many people are tuned in for the show itself. I don't think TNA's factoring DVR and other means of tracking people watching their show. And the 0.93 can also be attributed to other parts of the show. If Jeff/Bully Raw does a 1.3, but a segment with Matt Morgan or someone else does a 0.5, then it averages out to a lower number. Ratings are finicky and Thursday Nights from 8-10's a very, VERY competitive time slot. You're talking Big Bang Theory and Two and a Half Men on CBS, Grey's Anatomy on ABC at 9 PM and TNT or ESPN usually has NBA basketball. There's lots of competition and to be honest, I never know about IMPACT unless I happen to tune in to Spike, and they don't seem to be hyping the show as much.

Since Spike's affiliated with Viacom/CBS, they need to somehow find advertising on broadcast TV or start an ad campaign in major markets. Word of mouth is a must-have when it comes to their ratings fluctuating. If I don't know it's on, how am I going to watch?

The ultimate solution is to simply have TNA either on a network that will actually give it proper air time like FOX. If TNA were on FX, they'd do much better ratings... probably in the 1.5 - 2.0 category. Then again, FOX has the rights to UFC, so I'm sure TNA wouldn't want to go through that mess again.

Who knows? We'll see if it's a trend or just a case of happenstance. I'm going with a downward trend.

 

[Spinebreaker]

Apparently... ...rate.

I've shrunk the quote yes. But go back and read Zevan's post, 'cause I think he's right.

What, out of curiosity, are ROH's ratings like? Or any other televised promotions. 'Cause if all the promotions are flat and consistent maybe it is just that it's reached a plateau...

 

[Zeven_Zion]

I've shrunk the quote yes. But go back and read Zevan's post, 'cause I think he's right.

What, out of curiosity, are ROH's ratings like? Or any other televised promotions. 'Cause if all the promotions are flat and consistent maybe it is just that it's reached a plateau...

None of the other shows register on the Nielsen scale. I might be wrong, though, since I think ROH drew an 0.5 one time or something?

Either way, TV wise, it's only TNA and WWE. If people wanted wrestling they'd seek it out. It's not hard to find. Or maybe they did, didn't like any of it and went back to watching something worth their time, like Honey Boo Boo or something brilliant like that.

 

[Spinebreaker]

A little google research suggests that ROH have never achieved a Nielson rating yet in 11 years. It's been claimed they have beaten TNA "in some markets" whatever that means, without proof of course...

Perhaps that matches a pattern. If the Wrestling audience was out there, then perhaps ROH would have had a handful of small, measurable ratings in 10+ years?

 

[3drinks]

I think for TNA, a lot of their problem is the network itself. SpikeTV just isn't a good fit. It doesn't have compelling shows (c'mon, marathons of "Jail" all day Thursday?) and overall doesn't advertise it's own shows enough. I watched the last iMPACT!, and it was a really good show, between the tag team titles match, and a world title match in an archetype that's only been done seven times in eleven years -- that's a Pay-Per-View quality main event, given to the viewers on free TV.

Obv NBC is out since they don't like the genre and consider it a negative blemish on their networks. TBS is a great station, but I don't think the product mixes well enough with their own line-up. Personally, I feel TNA's product would be right at-home on FX; it is an edgy network, with a lot of popular programmes -- with the proper advertisement, there is no reason why iMPACT! wouldn't be successful here.

 

[The Dragon Saga]

A little google research suggests that ROH have never achieved a Nielson rating yet in 11 years. It's been claimed they have beaten TNA "in some markets" whatever that means, without proof of course...

Perhaps that matches a pattern. If the Wrestling audience was out there, then perhaps ROH would have had a handful of small, measurable ratings in 10+ years?

ROH is an entirely different story to TNA. TNA is funded by Panda Energy and Dixie Carter, both extremely wealthy. ROH was started by Gabe Sapolsky and was then ran by Carey Silkin who would fund everything while also trying to run a ticket company. TNA was built around the idea that so many talents were out of the job following the closure of WCW they should have an alternative to not being employed by WWE, ROH was built on the idea of bringing all the top independent wrestlers to one promotion.

That being said ROH has beaten TNA in PPV buyrates before, Final Battle 2010 beating several TNA PPV's in that year and Best In The World 2011 doing the same while breaking the iPPV record which ROH holds to this day. The ratings of the show aren't released because ROH isn't on a broad enough scale, an accurate rating would be impossible to gather.

Should be noted though Joe Koff who runs ROH on behalf of Sinclair said their happy with the television show, the audience, the attendances and the merchandise being sold. ROH have sold-out the last five iPPV's, plus they've now got relationships back with Pro Wrestling NOAH and a new one with New Japan Pro Wrestling.

And during their dual shoot Kevin Steen and Davey Richards said when asked about business that their making a lot more money than they used to which is evidence to them that stuff is selling, they get a lot more royalties these days then they used to. Sinclair also invested around $150,000 into the production which has improved significantly.

Back to the topic though, I don't know whether it's people picking up on the rehashed storylines, maybe they just don't find it all that entertaining, could even be the timeslot who knows but the product itself is still pretty good. I know the whole "they'be been open ten years" argument will always be brought up when saying this but Rome wasn't built in a day. They've only recently gone on the road, their always taking these little steps forward.

Until something comes out from Spike or there's a report about how Spike isn't happy with the rating I personally wouldn't be too worried about it, an interesting pattern though, but nothing too disheartening.

 

[ABMorales787]

I doubt show quality or who the champion is isn't the issue. TNA's ratings have never had a major dip or rise due to who's World Champion. To my belief, this may be the price to pay for long gaps between PPV's. Show quality is big lately. This Thursday was huge. But this is an age where the wrestling fanbase is used to have truly major stuff happen on PPV. The (misplaced) backlash towards Wrestlemania point in that direction. And the fact that Lockdown was over 5 weeks ago and Slammiversary is still 2 months away leads me to think more savvy fans would rather tune in when they know the hype will be at it's peak. That time is certainly not right now.

 

[MCMGfoLife]

In a word: it's the booking. After WWE's worst Mania build/show to date (in my opinion and many people I know's opinion) we get a Raw that was just terrible minus 2 parts. Ziggy finally cashing in and a Ryback heel turn. Ziggler's cash in was way past due and I'm just glad he won. Ryback's turn was good as he needs something to make him relevant again. Other than that, Raw continues it's string of terrible booking. I mean, to be honest, the best part of Raw, over the two things I mentioned, was the crowd. If they could get that crowd to every Raw I'd be way more into the show. I mean they were chanting "boring" after 2 minutes of a patented Cena victory promo...priceless.

 

[Ovaltine]

I usually watch Impact, but this week I didn't. I am kind of burnt out on Aces and 8s. I am completely burnt out on TNAs obsession with mega factions. It's seems to be the only story that they can tell. They aren't going to get anywhere if they keep rehashing the same story over and over... and over again. I just gets dull. It's too bad because there is a lot of good there. Aries, Roode, Bully Ray, Bad Influence... but then we have things like Chavo and Hernandez simply existing and being two time tag champions when they aren't over at all. Who is pushing these losers? Then there are (for the most part)the monthly gut check winners that have no place in TNA or if they do (one or two were pretty good)they are never heard from again. TNA also has the current mega faction with such "amazing" talents like Garrett Bischoff, Wes Biscoe and the rest of the jobbers in Aces and 8s. Instead of the monster Abyss they turned him into Joseph Parks? I don't get that logic at all. This was the guy who Hulk Hogan said was going to be TNAs version of the Undertaker. Which finally brings me to Eric Young... I still cannot comprehend how anyone likes that guy. He sucks on the mic, can't go in the ring and has NEVER been funny!

 

[MCMGfoLife]

Yeah, Aces and 8s has been going a while, but it's finally good. I was really getting tired of it but with Bully's reveal and all, I've enjoyed it much better. I also totally agree with the Abyss thing. Parks needs to "Get the F out" lol. I disagree with EY. He is good in the ring, he just hasn't had many matches over the last year, and I've found him hilarious as the crazy guy. Not a main player, but he's a good midcarder in my opinion.

 

[Azane]

It's very heavily that NWO 5.0 or whatever iteration the Aces and 8's has been is a stale storyline, and I think it's been made fun of more than anyone is actually interested in it.

The World champion isn't the most important thing to draw in viewers, most of the time, people tune in to see the challengers more so than the champions in all honestly.

We've all seen how this plays out, there will be more interest when A+8's starts breaking up, maybe we'll have Aces, and 8's as separate factions and such, but anyways; the decline is because of stale and boring booking on the whole, nothing interests me enough in the product to draw my 2 hours of viewership really.

Main Event Mafia deviated from the NWO formula well enough, but A+8's doesnt even try to be anything different.

 

[SpecialFNK]

I don't think the ratings good or bad have been because of Aces and Eights. it's the entire show. this past weeks show started off with a 0.75 rating for the tag team match.
Q ratings.

First Hour Break Down

Q1: Impact opened with a dreadful 0.75 rating for the first two falls of the Tag Title match, plus one commercial.

Q2: Impact remained dreadful with a 0.79 rating for the conclusion of Aries & Roode vs. Chavo & Hernandez, one commercial, and the first portion of Joseph Park's in-ring speech.

Q3: Impact increased to a 0.91 rating for the second-half of Park's speech involving Devon, one commercial, and a five-minute Knockouts segment featuring Taryn Terrell.

Q4: Impact dipped to a 0.84 rating for the first of two oddball Gut Check segments, video packages, and two full commercial breaks dragging down the rating.

Second Hour Break Down

Q5: Impact only increased to a 0.96 rating at the top of the second hour, which was the lowest-rated Q5 of the year. The previous low was a 1.14 rating on March 21. The segment featured the latest attempt by Hulk Hogan asking A.J. Styles to make a decision, James Storm interrupting Styles again, Bad Influence in the ring, and the segment concluding with Hogan booking Storm-Styles next week. There was also one commercial.

Q6: Impact increased slightly to a 0.98 rating for Joey Ryan vs. Rob Terry, one commercial, and the Gut Check decision giving Magno the boot.

Q7: Impact passed the 1.00-barrier with a 1.06 rating TNA Title match ring introductions, one commercial, and the first four minutes of Bully Ray vs. Jeff Hardy.

Q8: Impact increased to a show-high 1.13 rating for the conclusion of Ray-Hardy for the TNA Title, plus one commercial at the start of the quarter-hour, allowing the final 12 minutes of the show to be focused on Ray-Hardy.

TNA does some stupid things IMO.
Gut check has become a joke. the loser advances for voting over the guy who won, and then he doesn't even get a contract. waste of time for the last 2 weeks.
what was the point of the squash match where Rob Terry destroyed Joey Ryan? waste of TV time. if Brooke and Hulk wanted to teach Joey a lesson for what he did as referee the week before, Rob Terry isn't the answer.

the 1st hour since the new time change has almost constantly been killing the overall ratings.

 

[Big Nick Dudley]

Ratings drop, ratings go up. Ratings drop, ratings go up. And so on the story goes....

It's not a big deal. TNA has its fan base and they seem fairly loyal. Are you they doing anything to steal some of those WWE fans away? Probably not, but I'm not sure what they could do. And yes, that's really the only way to gain viewers - take/share WWE fans, or wrestling fans in general.

I'm not a big fan of Aces & Eights, but I am a big fan of Bully Ray, who has most certainly given the angle a jolt. Still not a fan of the group, but Bully is the best heel they have.

I don't attribute a drop in ratings to Bully Ray's title reign, and neither should any of you.