TNA live audience

[farlance]

I don't know if this has been discussed before but I always see people in forums talking about TNA giving the fans what they want and what not. I always thought that was kind of odd to judge what the fans want on how the audience acts at the Impact Zone. I was curious if anyone on here has been to the Impact Zone on more than one occasion to know if its the same local fans all the time or if there are more first time visitors. Reason I ask is that, lets say the same people show up and sit in the front row and cheer or boo a certain star. That doesn't necessarily convey the opinions of the total fan base. So how can TNA really know what the fans want by how the audience reacts? Do you think TNA would be a lot better off getting out of the Impact Zone as often as they can to really determine what the fans like? I think this also may have impact on how the stars feed off the crowd, and the ring psychology and all that, cause Id imagine there wouldn't be as much electricity in the audience of the Impact Zone because if it is the same fans all the time, the performance aren't new and exciting so they go on with those drab chants of "this is awesome" and all that. Thoughts?

 

[The Bearded One]

I've been to Impact tapings on several occasions. There are always some of the same people, maybe 15-20 at most. They usually stand along the rail and the first couple rows of bleachers. Then there are a group of wrestling fans who make the trip specifically to see wrestling. This makes up probably a little lass than half the crowd. The other half of people at the tapings are tourists who come in to visit Universal Studios and see that there is a show taping. They may go to the Impact Zone because they like wrestling, want to get on tv, want to get out of the heat, etc. So much of the crowd is different every week.

But there is a lot of directing the audience during tapings. They tell you when to cheer and when to boo. Before the tapings begin, they tell you when someone comes out the tunnel on the left you need to cheer, and when someone comes out from the right, you need to boo. SoCal Val is usually by the announcers directing the cheers and boos. They also tell you to cheer when they are coming back from a commercial break.

I haven't been since TNA has gone HD, so this could have changed slightly.

 

[yoshi_doce2006]

So with the fan direction that is basically what the WWF and WCW did back in the early 90's. Kind of a throwback. One that I don't care for but a throwback none the less.

 

[gd]

Do you think TNA would be a lot better off getting out of the Impact Zone as often as they can to really determine what the fans like?

I think TNA needs to get out of the Impact Zone more often and others have felt the same way, not necessarily to see how the fans react, but just because it'll make the show different and more interesting. However, due to cost issues, it appears unlikely that they will be leaving the Impact Zone very often in the near future.

One set of Impact tapings is typically for 3 shows, so you'll have the same fans for 3 weeks of television. However, I don't think that will affect many things. I suppose that there are some regulars to TNA tapings, but the majority of the crowds are different. For the most part, they'll cheer the faces and boo the heels. I don't think it affects show quality very much at all.

 

[farlance]

I still think the fans at home watching it on tv pick up on the crowd reactions weather they consciously acknowledge it or not. I catch myself as a fan watching it at home getting more excited about a match when I hear the crowd naturally getting into things and cheering and booing. I can tell the crowd reactions at the Impact Zone seem fake almost and led on by someone. Like that "this is awesome" chant, with the claps, I cant stand it. Its not natural chants, someone is starting these. When Cena and HHH went at it and the face was getting booed and the heel cheered with every punch...thats what I get into, and that kind of stuff will never happen in the Impact Zone. Thats why I say that there is no real way in telling what the fans want by that crowd.

 

[morrisonfan]

I live in the Orlando area and have been to every single IMPACT! Taping since early 2008 and I have been to every TNA Show in HD. Now they have many of the same people that come every week and they get this special "VIP Treatment" which i am on and we always get around the front area. Now the reason we cheer and boo during occasions where it wouldn't matter is because the crew workers tell us in the front that we have to do so or we'd be kicked off the front, thats why we always cheer and boo like a bunch of morons.

Lately for the shows they pick certain people to be on the front, mostly the same and i get picked because of how we cheer, we want to be up close to the action and we try all that we can. I used to just be looking like a "zombie" as people say on here until they told us to cheer and all of that.

And there are also alot of different people that come to the show that get in on the bleachersor stand behind the people in the front, like someone said, tourists and all and there is a bunch of people each week, so it actually does add variety, not always the same people although several of the same people always come.

Basically they have each segment and all and TNA Live can get you hooked, it did that to me and I haven't stopped going ever since. It's good stuff and anyone who travels here should stop by to see a show.