SPIKE TV Changes

[scomvp316]

To start off with the following is just my opinion:

Spike wants to compete with USA and that has been known for a few years
When you are the smaller company or the company thats lagging behind you must be different
I think Spike should be a majority wrestling network
They can keep the movies they have and MMA programming
With being a wrestling network they can attract new wrestling programming that NBCU fails to deliver

They currently have TNA and they should expand
They could work out a deal with JJ's new promotion with working around certain language in his current shareholder agreement with TNA
Bring in ROH and SBC still will have the rights to the company seeing they have little say into the creative part of the ROH product
Add other promotions such as DGate,AAA,NJPW,and Muta's promotion which I think is called Wrestle 1
This will give those promotions an additional platform
Adding those other promotions would happen over time not adding all of them at the same time
You can also air past PPV's or in some cases of promotions without PPV's then air past special events
You can also air special live events
All of that is something NBCU doesn't air and probably would never air over their networks with WWE Programming

The programming list would contain the following:

Wrestling first air shows
Wrestling first air replays
PPV's or Special Events from wrestling promotions archives
Comic Book related tv shows and movies
Horror & Action movies
Bellator Live

 

[Jack-Hammer]

I don't see how this will help Spike compete with USA when you consider a couple of things. For one thing, what would be the motivation for Spike to sign Jeff Jarrett's promotion since it's entirely, 100% unproven? For another, according to the report I've read, the language is pretty cut and dry that Jeff Jarrett isn't legally allowed to shop his promotion to Spike. An attempt to do so would only result in an expensive legal battle that I don't see how Jarrett could have any chance of winning.

As far as bringing in ROH, a lot would depend on how long ROH's current syndication deal lasts. I doubt ROH can simply just break it and even if they could, why take the chance on something that could blow up in their faces when they're making money right now? Even still, in all honesty, do you really think that ROH would fare any better in the ratings than TNA would? TNA's been signed to Spike for almost 9 years now and, as a result, they've enjoyed FAR more exposure than ROH and signed numerous household names in pro wrestling to their roster. Over the course of the past year, TNA's been struggling to even reach the very, very low 1.0 level even with all the big names they've signed and the huge exposure they've had.

Lastly, exactly how much money is Spike supposed to shell out to all these other companies that have little to no presence or exposure to American audiences? For instance, you know that All Japan & New Japan wouldn't be all that cheap considering they've been around more than 40 years and are still THE top companies in Japan.

Essentially, this sounds like an attempt at a WWE Network comprised primarily of indy & foreign companies that don't have WWE's name brand value. Considering that TNA is more well known here in the states and has difficulty staying in the low 1 million viewer range, it's not likely that these other companies will do any better. So why should Spike pay out a fortune to all these various wrestling promotions that almost certainly won't perform any better than the single company they already have. It's an idea that'd appeal to the hardest of hardcore wrestling fans, but that won't be nearly enough of a return that Spike would hope for.

 

[scomvp316]

I agree with you on the GFW situation only if SPIKE could workout a deal with JJ essentially getting a buyout from TNA
I thought it would be a good idea for alot of non-wwe programming just to show NBCU and WWE their is a alternative
I am not saying this could turn into what WCW was with Turner but just another platform for some promotions who would probably consider it
As far as the foreign wrestling promotions the smart thing to do would be for SPIKE to air some past events that will showcase the audience of what the future programming would look like
Viacom has enough cash to over extend themselves
I am not saying all would happen at once but more like a 2-3 year plan
Basically it would be a indy wrestling network with other programming sprinkled in
I am not saying ROH or even NJPW would get a 1.7 rating but if you have say 3-5 wrestling promotions on the same network it would make them compete at a higher level and you never know how long or how well that can last but if eventually the network can push WWE a little bit then thats a win for every wrestling fan

 

[Slash-LN]

It wouldn't work if it's run by the same people that ran it when it was TNN and they had WWE and ECW.

They focused too much on having WWE and didn't promote ECW except when ECW was on. Yet they ran WWE ads during ECW.

They already hardly promote Impact. Bringing in smaller companies isn't going to help at all.

Maybe if management was different and they advertised better it would be cool. But it isn't and they don't.

Don't get me wrong though. If there was a network that had several promotions on air and aired those shows at a decent time or allowed me to watch them later then I would be all for that.

I just don't think Spike is that network.

 

[scomvp316]

I totally understand the frustration with SPIKE
With all fairness even if SPIKE promoted TNA just too many times TNA has been their own downfall
I am a huge wrestling fan of all promotions
I just wonder if it wasn't SPIKE what would be a good network
IMO if we had a network with a majority of other promotions thats not WWE I think each promotion would push itself alot harder and make better biz decisions than what they may be doing now
I have always thought and its true to a certain degree that comics and wrestling have alot in common

 

[lil steroid meat]

I don't see how this will help Spike compete with USA when you consider a couple of things. For one thing, what would be the motivation for Spike to sign Jeff Jarrett's promotion since it's entirely, 100% unproven? For another, according to the report I've read, the language is pretty cut and dry that Jeff Jarrett isn't legally allowed to shop his promotion to Spike. An attempt to do so would only result in an expensive legal battle that I don't see how Jarrett could have any chance of winning.

As far as bringing in ROH, a lot would depend on how long ROH's current syndication deal lasts. I doubt ROH can simply just break it and even if they could, why take the chance on something that could blow up in their faces when they're making money right now? Even still, in all honesty, do you really think that ROH would fare any better in the ratings than TNA would? TNA's been signed to Spike for almost 9 years now and, as a result, they've enjoyed FAR more exposure than ROH and signed numerous household names in pro wrestling to their roster. Over the course of the past year, TNA's been struggling to even reach the very, very low 1.0 level even with all the big names they've signed and the huge exposure they've had.

Lastly, exactly how much money is Spike supposed to shell out to all these other companies that have little to no presence or exposure to American audiences? For instance, you know that All Japan & New Japan wouldn't be all that cheap considering they've been around more than 40 years and are still THE top companies in Japan.

Essentially, this sounds like an attempt at a WWE Network comprised primarily of indy & foreign companies that don't have WWE's name brand value. Considering that TNA is more well known here in the states and has difficulty staying in the low 1 million viewer range, it's not likely that these other companies will do any better. So why should Spike pay out a fortune to all these various wrestling promotions that almost certainly won't perform any better than the single company they already have. It's an idea that'd appeal to the hardest of hardcore wrestling fans, but that won't be nearly enough of a return that Spike would hope for.

ALL of this.

Plus:

That's just too much pro wrestling lol. It's a form of entertainment that can only be consumed a one or two hours at a time. Raw being three hours is pushing it. You put on a 6-8 hour programming block of pro wrestling, you gonna start over analyzing it, losing that suspension of disbelief and before you know it, your head will explode or some shit because you were in front of the TV yelling at the top of your lungs because you don't know why the fuck Damien Sandow won't get the fuck out of the ropes and stop waiting for Rey Mysterio to give him a 619 lol.

In all seriousness though, the interest for wrestling is just not that high for Spike to go through all of the legal and monetary stuff that has to take place.

 

[ajdb]

I actually do think there's a market for Japanese wrestling on U.S. television. I think Spike would have to make it late night because I think it would take a while to build up a proper following.

Right now there's growing interest in New Japan, but it's slow growth.

I do think however, that Jarrett is doing an awful lot to validate GFW before even signing a single person, so maybe Spike needs to look at that.

Bottomline? Spike needs to probably give TNA a short term extension to see if the post Hogan/Bischoff "Reset" can work.

 

[scomvp316]

I consider myself a wrestling junkie
I watch all promotions But thats just me
If we as in hardcore wrestling fans had a network with a variety of wrestling throughout the week thats different from WWE & TNA we could see the next "wrestling blooming period"
If we had a network like I layed out they would indirectly compete against one another Thats not a bad thing thats a good thing
Also whether the talent from these promotions jump to WWE or not or just go to other promotions that would be on this network then fans could follow a particular talent much like the old territory days that WWE did very well in during the 90's
Also say NJPW starts averaging 1.8 rating every week then they get more programming as in archival shows aired on the network
You would also see movies sprinkled in to balance things out
Horror and action movies
Viacom would then maybe strike a deal with DC and some other independent comics to air past tv shows and possibly air new comic related tv shows through production
So not just wrestling but to really capitalize on the 16-34 male demo

 

[Rassling Fan 1974]

Well don't know if it would work on Spike. They seem invested in MMA right now and there not renewing TNA early this time. It would be cool. But not sure Spike would invest that much into it. But It's a great idea. I'd defintly watch. Watch ROH,NJPW,AJPW & other federations a lot anyway