Is TNA bigger in the UK than in the US?

[Uncle Sam]

I believe it is. This might sound crazy. Consider that TNA has never hosted a pay-per-view or a televised event of any kind in the UK. Consider that there are only four British wrestlers on the entire TNA roster. Consider that TNA's shows come largely from Orlando, Florida - that's in the US, in case you were wondering.

However, it's time for me to go all IrishCanadian on your asses and lay down list of fun facts:

1) The biggest live audience in TNA history was in England

I should know, I was there. Wembley Stadium. Some time in 2008. Over 10,000 TNA fans.


2) TNA iMPACT! is more popular than WWE Raw in the UK

And it would be really nice if you put it back on Virgin1, TNA. Thanks.


3) Desmond Wolfe will soon be world champion

Mark my words.

Yeah, I've run dry. Should TNA just give it up and move to the UK? I think so. Discuss.

 

[a0161613]

I believe it is. This might sound crazy. Consider that TNA has never hosted a pay-per-view or a televised event of any kind in the UK. Consider that there are only four British wrestlers on the entire TNA roster. Consider that TNA's shows come largely from Orlando, Florida - that's in the US, in case you were wondering.

I think it is crazy. I dont know what the viewing figures are like but I can imagine it is. WWE is big over here too and if TNA could sort the advertising they could tap that market up.

1) The biggest live audience in TNA history was in England

I should know, I was there. Wembley Stadium. Some time in 2008. Over 10,000 TNA fans.

IC wouldn't get this wrong. It was Wembley Arena in 2009 and I thought it was about 8000?

2) TNA iMPACT! is more popular than WWE Raw in the UK

And it would be really nice if you put it back on Virgin1, TNA. Thanks.

I wish they put it back too.

3) Desmond Wolfe will soon be world champion

Mark my words.

I can't wait but i hope they dont rush it.

Yeah, I've run dry. Should TNA just give it up and move to the UK? I think so. Discuss.

Surely they have to do an iMPACT and a PPV over here soon. That would rock socks.

 

[absent]

I think the viewing figures are purely down to the fact that TNA are on a basic satellite/cable channel where as WWE is on a premium Sky Sports channel.

I would imagine WWE actually makes more money from UK TV since on Sky Sports there are adverts and a high premium channel subscription rate. Sky Sports could potentially offer them far more money per viewer than Bravo could.

 

[unique.enigma.666]

Trust me this isn't just a WWE fan guy knocking TNA, but my answer to your question is, I don't think so. Whenever I'm out I never see someone wearing a TNA T-Shirt, I mean I hardly ever see anyone wearing a WWE Shirt, I have seen people wear the merch though but I'm more likely to see someone wearing WWE Merchandise, there's only evern been one person I've known in person not over the internet that likes TNA. As for TNA/Raw ratings, Raw is shown live at 2 in the morning. People have work, college, sixth form, secondary school, university, or there are those who can't be bothered to stay up until 4/half 4 to watch Raw I'm betting, I'm a college student but I know that if I had Sky+ I wouldn't stay up that late to watch Raw, I'd record it. My friend records Raw, well he records both Raw and SD since he has to share Sky with his family, so I'm guessing the viewing figures are less considering less people are willing to stay up rather than tape it. Also, Raw, SD and ECW is on Sky Sports, which you'd have to pay for as apart of a package whereas with TNA which is shown on Bravo, the channel comes with Sky once you've purchased it, so that would definetly affect the outcome of the ratings aswell. I wish WWE programming was shown on a free channel but I'll have to make do with youtube and dailymotion. By the way I have no clue whatsoever if Sky being recorded effects the outcome of ratings? But meh. Anyhoo, WWE are more well-known and whilst it isn't every day you see or hear WWE adverts, they're still advertised in the UK, and not once do I recall seeing or hearing a TNA advert. Last year I remember they had adverts for the WWESVR2009 Computer game, but when TNA released theirs, I don't recall seeing any advert for it.

 

[Deego]

If TNA is bigger in the UK than the US, it must not be very popular at all in the US. TNA is absolutely nothing over here, infact as far as I'm aware the only people who've actually heard of it are 'big' wrestling fans. People who just have a little interest, or none at all more often than not refer to wrestling as 'WWE' because they think that's all there is. I was in my pal's house a few weeks ago (a WWE fan) and I put on TNA (for the first and only time), he said "what is TNA anyway?".

 

[Remix]

Having PPVs in britain would be a very bad idea. for a start it'd be one hell of a lot more expensive than using the Impact zone like normal (and add that to the fact that TNA PPVs arent consistent moneymakers), and noone really benefits from it being in britain. The americans dont get to watch it live unless it's filmed at 2 in the morning (when the wrestlers would be too tired to put on a good match) or shown in the US when most of the punters havent got home from work yet, niether of which are good for anyone. the solution (and most likely probability, given that it's what WWE do on a foreign tour) is to air the show on tape delay, which kinda kills the excitement if you can just read the results of what happened before you watch it (is it really suspenseful watching A.J. Styles in the ankle lock and wondering if he's going to tap, if you already know he is?). so foreign tours and TV tapings in the UK, yes good idea. PPV tapings no, very bad idea.

 

[absent]

To re-iterate my point before, whilst 'popular' can be defined in several ways, getting higher rating has nothing to do with making more money. For example, if the football Premiership were more concerned with ratings, they'd have matches on the BBC & ITV, but no they're out to make money, so they're on Sky Sports. A fraction of the potential viewers but may times the money. To be a cynical ass, if the WWE cared one jot about ratings in the UK they wouldn't be on Sky Sports.

edit: And I'd guess WCW had higher ratings in the UK during the Monday Night Wars. Raw was on premium subscription Sky Sports whilst WCW was on in the same timeslot on free-to-air Turner Classic Movies.

 

[Mr_Ab_Fab]

There are two ways of looking at this. Viewers who used to watch wwe in the attitude era and the following first few years of the current decade have switched over to TNA as well as sticking with wwe out of some stupid kinda loyalty. i enjoy TNA more but watch raw also not because i enjoy it but im still hoping WWE can still surprise me(which it hasn't for ages but u never know) new younger fans watch wwe as it is more available and plays to the children more.

 

[ianfromlondon]

The answer to this Thread is simply no

tna is not big in the uk

as many of people as stated you ask people over here if they heard about wwe the answer would be yes

if you then ask them if they ever heard about tna they would just look at you and think you are trying to trick them into saying yes about something that isnt real

us over in the uk have always been big wrestling fans and we would rather watch a 2-3 hour wwe event knowing we will have some fun
rather than watching a 2-3 hour tna event and falling to sleep with the lack of excitment

 

[Sharpdeathlock]

No TNA isn't bigger than WWE over here.

The only reason impact gets decent viewing figures is because most people what have sky tv or virgin tv have bravo and virgin1 and not as many have sky sports package.

WCW used to always crush WWF/E over here back in the monday night wars days because it used to be on TCM and TNN which used to be free channels and WWE has always been on the skysports channels which aren't cheap, even the old ECW used to give WWE a decent amount of competition ratings wise because it used to be on bravo too.

So overall to be honest most people will over here will definately prefer WWE to TNA its just that it costs less to watch TNA.

On a completely unrelated note i can't wait for Bret Hart to return to RAW.

 

[Big Ol' Buckta AIDS]

Well I can't speak for the entire country, I spent last year over in england on a study abroad program, and the guys that liked Wrestling were more TNA lovers than WWE fans, but then again that 5 people who just so happened to like wrestling.

 

[Fishburger]

I think a lot of you are missing the point of this thread.

It's not is TNA bigger than WWE in the UK, It's is TNA bigger in the UK than the US. Nothing to do with WWE.

As for the thread question itself, I would have to say that yes TNA is more popular over here in the UK than it is in the US because like Uncle Sam said, TNA's largest attendance record was in London and TNA has very consistent ratings and does in fact beat WWE quite often

The US from what I have read don't seem to care too much about TNA given the fact that some of the audience in the iMPACT! zone are non-wrestling fans who have come in from the sun to watch a free show that is being held. If that was in the UK, guaranteed it would be full of wrestling fans and would willingly pay to go and see it.

 

[Jordan-Dixon]

Its not more popular than WWE, but ratings are pritty high as TNA comes on basic TV channel called Bravo. Where as WWE is in an extra pay package to watch on Sky Sports.

And i dont know about in the USA and other countries but TNA ppv's are free over here on the same basic tv channel. WWE ppv's are on box office at £15 ($24).

TNA is garbage to watch as it wrestling isnt as good untill you get to AJ, Daniels, Angle etc. But WWE has good lower card wrestlers and you can have a laugh at the joke WWE champ

DROP THE PG RATING

 

[HITMANFAN]

Is it just me?

Are you people really telling me that those that watch WWE programmes...DON'T watch TNA as well?

Or at the very least, you watch one regularly and dip into the other off and on, to see what is going on?

Surely, if you like wrestling, you will watch what is on, regardless of who is putting it on? And what, WWE doesn't put some real crap out? Hands up who is not fed up of seeing Chavo G and Santino M (two actually very good wrestlers) being the but of everyone's jokes....I would wager that that equals very few hands indeed.

 

[Rich]

Indeed, it is crap seeing Chavo Guerrero get pretty much owned by Hornswoggle every week, if anything it cheapens the Guerrero name IMO.

As for Santino, I couldn't care less about him, he was only brought in and won a fluke IC title match on RAW in Italy against the late Umaga (RIP) who was feuding with Bobby Lashley at the time.

 

[absent]

Personally I watch TNA on TV and not WWE. That's 'cos I don't subscribe to Sky Sports. If you're parent's want to watch Premiership football, I guess that's why you can watch WWE, I have no reason to want to subscribe to Sky Sports beyond WWE, and that alone isn't worth the subscription rate. I'd rather download it than pay £15+ a month for a single TV program.