Smackdown Moving to Tuesdays; Time For TNA to Take a Stand?

[It's Damn Real!]

Count me among those whose initial reaction to the Smackdown move to Tuesdays (live, no less) had me thinking, as is effectively historical policy, that TNA would be retreating to Thursdays (again). But the more I think about it, and the more I read, the less I'm convinced that's the right move to make. Not this time. This time, it's different.

In spite of the poor viewership numbers (as an overall and compared to the Spike days), TNA does seem to be marginally increasing viewers by the week. There are fluctuations, but the number does seem to be gradually rising despite being a fraction of what it was just two or three yeras ago. Quick sidebar — I'm as aghast as you, considering this whole Hardy/Hardy fiasco leading the charge. But I digress…

WWE, on the other hand, seem to be battling a greater sentiment of fan dissatisfaction, especially with the rarely watched Smackdown brand. Sure, this whole Monday/Tuesday one-two combo of live products could reinvigorate things, no doubt, but this could also be a never-better scenario for TNA to stand its ground and show why it is (or can be) a viable alternative. Not "competition". Alternative. Another choice. Not the rival they've liked to play in the past.

And if TNA can manage to sign Rhodes, Sandow and/or Barrett, it actually gives fans another reason to tune in, to see if they're given the opportunity to run with the ball like WWE didn't seem willing to do with any of them. Of course, this is conjecture on my part. I can't honestly claim to know much at all outside of what I read and hear, but there does seem to still be some upside in all three. Which is what would separate them from the Val Venis' and Orlando Jordan's of the past. It'd put them in more of a Drew Galloway-type category. Or Tyrus. On the surface, yes, it's another retread with talent TNA didn't make, but let's not pretend the cupboards are overflowing talent at the moment, either. They've done alright in picking up a few great independent wrestlers to help re-establish the brand in the last little while (Bennett, Parks and Cherry Bomb, Sienna, etc), but they could use a shot in the arm here. Snagging one of those three could be the boost they need to get people talking again.

I'd imagine it'll take a lot of work, just as it did in Galloway's case, to rejuvenate their assassinated characters, but as Galloway can attest to, it can be done. Wrestling fans aren't so stubborn, I don't believe, to refuse to accept that talents can reinvent themselves, no matter how far they fall down the well. Just look at Eric Young and the aforementioned Galloway and Tyrus as prime examples of how hard work can trump bad booking.

So the more I think, the more I'm convinced of it — TNA should stand their ground and embrace this head-to-head opportunity. Don't run. Not this time.

 

[klunderbunker]

.....oh please let this happen. I believe I've been a good person. Asking to be allowed to witness a slaughter really isn't asking too much is it?

Here's the thing: remember back in 2010 when Val Venis debuted for TNA and was basically the same "edgy" character he was twelve years earlier? Well he wound up beating Daniels at Genesis 2010. "But it's a different time now KB!" Yeah it is, and if there's one thing TNA is great at, it's learning from previous mistakes right?

Yes TNA's numbers went up a little bit recently, putting them a full 200k ahead of Lucha Undergound. The fact that they're drawing maybe 12% of what Smackdown gets is unimportant I'm sure. Impact is doing better at the moment but the problem is there's no reason to believe it's going to last. How many fans are going to watch Raven Hardy talk about how much he wants to destroy Nero when they can watch John Cena actually do something interesting at the same time?

TNA can try all they want here, but when they were at one of their highest points six years ago, they lasted what, two months of head to head? This TNA is a shell of that version and it would be an absolute disaster for them to try. Therefore, I can't wait to see them go for it and start looking up at the masked guys who fight in a Temple.

 

[rbv13]

I was debating this very topic with a friend just this afternoon over lunch. Remaining on Tuesday Nights could provide TNA with a tremendous rub. Hopefully Smackdown will bring a larger audience to Tuesdays and it is very safe to assume a portion of that audience will go channel surfing from time time. Like IDR stated the key is for TNA is be an alternative. If they can manage that they might just be able to start picking off fans a few, hopefully a few hundred, at a time. This is just to sort of ballsy move TNA needs to make.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

A key I forget to mention in the OP — Smackdown would run from 8pm to 10pm. Impact from 9pm to 11pm. So they'd only have an hours worth of overlap from 9pm to 10pm every night. Not a pure head-to-head, so you could even see a scenario where Smackdown viewers flip over to IMPACT when Smackdown ends. I'd be really interested to see how the second hour numbers fare in comparison to the first half.

 

[Navi]

You know really I don't think it matters what night TNA is on. They have a fanbase, and if the posts by TNA fans on this site are any indication the WWE women could wrestle nude and they still wouldn't watch.

The same goes for hardcore WWE fans who find TNA a joke. I used to watch both until I started working some nights, and then of course they moved to another channel that we don't even get here in Canada. Personally I have no problems with TNA and love some of the stuff they do. Too bad I can't find it on the TV anymore.

TNA fans will still watch and the numbers should hopefully for TNA stay the same. It's the WWE that has to be careful here, viewership is dropping and by the sounds of things some in the locker room aren't happy.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

It does matter, though. The numbers kind of prove it. Every time they moved nights they lost a large number of their audience who didn't follow over.

 

[harrythem]

TNA hasn't been too bad lately but, as usual, their marketing has been completely shocking. To me there would be nothing better they could do then purchase advertising space in the second hour of Smack Down so they could pimp out POP and get people to turn over. Even if it was only a fraction of WWE's audience it'd still be an improvement and a fair few might actually enjoy what they see (as long as they keep the knock-outs off of the show, they suck balls)

 

[George Steele's Barber]

It is easy to say TNA needs to hold their ground but it isn't really their choice. Network executives are making that call. Those decision makers are probably going to want to take the safe route and retreat to another night. Otherwise, if Impact's viewership and sponsorship numbers fall their bosses and shareholders are going to be righteously pissed that such an obvious change was needed.

But if I'm TNA and Dixie I play the martyr in public and on the show. I get "blunt" with the marks about last legs, and David vs Goliath. I try to get folks to rally around the product.

But a lot of this depends on how much sponsorship is already sold and for how long. If TNA has their advertising contracts in place and running well through SD's initial move they may have a better chance staying in the same place for a while longer.

It would be cool to have a mini Tuesday night war.

 

[rbv13]

Lets get to really important issue here. That being the status of the Live Discussions. If Impact remains on Tuesday would there continue to be two LDs or would they be lumped into one? Joining them might become a bit confusing at times but could also maximize participation and interest in both shows. What of poor KB, writing two reviews in a single night?

 

[New Hot Fed]

It does matter, though. The numbers kind of prove it. Every time they moved nights they lost a large number of their audience who didn't follow over.

Agreed. They sort of never recovered of the change of days when they were on DA. They changed what three times? And it would be damaging if it happened again.

They could maybe change timezones yet stay on the same day for the time being. And if they change days well let it happen over time, ride it out for a month or two.

They should start doing specials on Wednesdays. And if Pop realise that the ratings of these specials are good, then switch Impact to that day.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

It's ultimately up to the network executives as to whether or not TNA stays on Tuesdays or moves and I don't think Dixie enjoys the sort of influence she had in years past with Spike. The image of TNA is damaged, there's no way around that, and if Dixie Carter wants to stand and fight on Tuesday nights against a show that routinely draws in the mid 2 million viewers, not counting DVR viewership, whereas Impact Wrestling doesn't often draw 300,000 viewers, then I find it difficult to believe that Pop TV executives are going to take that risk. TNA tried going against WWE years back, they were financially stronger on a much stronger network then and they were pecker slapped all over Monday nights. TNA isn't a threat to WWE, they're less of a threat now than arguably at any time in company history, so TNA is the one that runs the risk of losing viewers and sponsor rather than WWE.

SmackDown is going live, which in and of itself can hold some appeal and may steal some viewers from TNA when you consider that TNA's shows are sometimes taped weeks in advance; I mean, everyone knew that Decay were TNA World Tag Team Champions a full month before the episode in which they won the straps even aired on television.

 

[filthyanimalz]

I totally agree that TNA needs to stand it's ground. Their product has been very good of late with some great new additions to the roster. Good long term feuds and story lines as well as a pretty decent card shaping up for Slammiversary. Particular additions to the X division and Knockouts in terms of wrestling ability would probably rival anything Smackdown can offer. I think Smackdown will become a bigger better version of NXT wether that translates to a good TV product remains to be seen but I think if you enjoy watching TNA you'll keep watching.

 

[dsotm5150]

I don't think it'll hurt them too bad. The viewership in that specific time slot itself might go down, but DVR and VOD gets factored into viewership numbers now too so their +3 and +7 numbers will probably increase over the actually Tuesday night broadcast viewership. We won't know till it actually happens, but it'll be up to the network to decide whether it stays or moves. Personally I'm surprised WWE is going with back to back broadcast nights, but when youre booking shows months in advance it's probably easier to switch timeslots than reschedule months of booked dates.

 

[resignedknight]

TNA hasn't been too bad lately but, as usual, their marketing has been completely shocking. To me there would be nothing better they could do then purchase advertising space in the second hour of Smack Down so they could pimp out POP and get people to turn over. Even if it was only a fraction of WWE's audience it'd still be an improvement and a fair few might actually enjoy what they see (as long as they keep the knock-outs off of the show, they suck balls)

People keep saying this, but there's no way USA sells them that ad space.

 

[Navi]

It does matter, though. The numbers kind of prove it. Every time they moved nights they lost a large number of their audience who didn't follow over.

I don't understand why they wouldn't follow over. If you're a fan then why not follow the show you watch, but maybe that's just me. If RAW moved to another night I would still watch it. The problem with TNA for me personally is, I to watch it when it was on Spike, then they moved to go head to head with RAW, which was kind of a disaster.

Then they moved back to Thursday's I believe and I still watched it on and off when I was home. After they disappeared completely to a channel that my cable provider doesn't carry, kind of hard to watch any night it's on, for some of us that was the biggest issue, not the night but the fact that they just disappeared. We don't get Destination America and I have no idea what POP TV is.

I agree they should stand their ground don't move around like a Whack a Mole. If they are offering a decent product and the other guy isn't, then they might just pick up some viewers. It remains to be seen what the rosters will look like after the brand split, so TNA might have that in their favour as well.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

Depends on the night it goes to, how actively you are a fan and watch, and what else might be on in the time slot it moves to. For example, my Sunday nights are basically full up year-round between the Walking Dead, Showtime's line-up, HBO, etc. If wrestling moved there, I'm just not watching in all likelihood. I'd end up having to download it or something, or watch a replay later in the week.

But moving nights matters because without a lot of lead-up to pumping the move to reinforce the new night, people just tend to forget.

 

[ShinChan]

"My suggestion to TNA is to tweak their Tuesday start time to avoid wrestling fan¡¯s having ot make a decision of which wrestling show to watch, a live, Smackdown or a taped Impact Wrestling. For TNA to go head to head against WWE on Tuesday nights is ill advised."
-Jim Ross

I totally agree with the above statement. TNA could surely compete with Smackdown if it was also live and not taped.

Smackdown airs from 8 to 10 PM and TNA airs from 9 to 11 PM. TNA could start either 9.30 PM or 10 PM. I think that 10 would be too much so 9.30 could be the best time to start.

I hope that TNA gets enough investment to start airing live in future.

 

[Rayne]

Let's not look at this as a matter of "holding their ground"; TNA should make whatever they feel is the tactical play rather than the emotional one.

I don't really know how TNA would fare with Smackdown going from 7-9 and Impact going from 8-10; if they can pickup Smackdown viewers, that's a win for them and might be better than being on their own night. I definitely think that configuration is worth a shot, and PopTV's lineup doesn't seem so solid that they couldn't move TNA to another night (which is usually a guaranteed temporary audience drop) if it doesn't work out.

So they shouldn't stand their ground; they should jujitsu their ground. Leave themselves room to maneuver to take advantage of their opponent's move.

 

[New Hot Fed]

Either move them from 6 to 8 or go to Thursday.

If I were them I would stay on tuesday for a while then ask Pop if they could do a few specials on Thursdays throughout the summer to see if the fans would watch. It could be 1 hour Clash of Champions type of shows.

Then if the ratings are good then you do a storyline from tuesday that would be next seen on the thursday show as a follow up. Then you stay permanently there.

 

[Weems2k]

I can't see the numbers being changed that much. All The E smarks hate TNA anyway, even if they've never watched one single show. The numbers they're getting now is pretty much their core fanbase. Instead of dropping, Impact may actually get a few casuals that switch over during commercial break to check it out. Maybe they even like the TNA product over Crapdown, and stay with it.