Ok so I always hear that TNA beats RAW and Smackdown over in the UK. Does anybody know what is done differently over there to cause that? Is it marketing? is it just a different preference over there? Is there something that can be learned from over there and used in the United States that could help TNA get some kind of edge over here? I'm just curious, maybe some people from over there can chime in their opinions, or people over here that have an idea of why preferences are different over in the UK.
UK Ratings
- Thread starter farlance
- Start date
Super Hans
we we we so excited, we so excited.
1 thing i would say is that the sattelite package you get with sky tv the cheap basic package gives you bravo(which tna is on) whereas the wwe flagship programmes are on sky sports which is the dearest monthly package you get,therefore tna has more households that it can be viewed in
Super Hans
we we we so excited, we so excited.
but you also get replays of raw on a thursday at 9pm and smacdown is on friday at 10 or 11 so the timing doesnt really count
Raw has sucky times in the UK. They show it live on a Monday/ Tuesday morning but then they never replay it on the exact same time slot every week. It always seems to change. At least with TNA you know when its going to air. Viewers have Bravo more than Sky Sports as Sky Sports is pretty expensive whilst Bravo is with the basic sky package. I also see a lot more advertisement for TNA than WWE. I can watch music channels and occasionaly I see a Impact advert unlike WWE whom only seems to advertise their pay per views.
Impact is shown at 9pm on a Saturday. Raw and Smackdown are shown (as far as I know) at 10pm on Friday and Saturday, with two or three hour long programmes on Sunday on Sky One.
Ignore the fact that Impact is on free TV (it's not a big deal.) Wrestling as a whole has sucky timeslots over here. Sky Sports in comparison to Bravo promote the hell out of WWE.
The UK market for TNA is huge and it is no surprise to hear a bit of bragging rights. However the fact is TNA has screwed the UK market by making PPVs so difficult to see. They deserve credit for getting the TV ratings but the PPVs is what they should be getting focussing on.
Ignore the fact that Impact is on free TV (it's not a big deal.) Wrestling as a whole has sucky timeslots over here. Sky Sports in comparison to Bravo promote the hell out of WWE.
The UK market for TNA is huge and it is no surprise to hear a bit of bragging rights. However the fact is TNA has screwed the UK market by making PPVs so difficult to see. They deserve credit for getting the TV ratings but the PPVs is what they should be getting focussing on.
The truth of the matter is this: TNA is on a basic satellite/cable channel at 9pm on a Saturday every week. Raw is shown live, and on Thursday night. However, the time it airs on Saturday is entirely arbitary, and it is often moved about the time slots. Indeed, last week, it was on at 11pm, so it isn't really the most watched time. Smackdown is, like in the USA, on on Friday nights. Last week it wasn't repeated on Saturday like it usually is, and was on at 10 instead of 9 on Friday. Finally, WWE is probably the 4th tier of programming on its channel, after just about every other sport. TNA is the second biggest draw on its channel. Put into perspective, TNA's ratings win, and it is a tiny one, isn't that suprising. Furthermore, we are talking a difference in ratings in the thousands here, if not the hundreds.
Dum Dum Dudley
Alberto Del Rio's English Announcer
Theres a few reasons the ratings are like they are and as most of my fellow brits have stated, the sky package plays a big part of this. Obviously the price effects it but also how Sky treats the WWE product. With Raw shown live at 2 a.m on Monday night, the replays are the main time anyone can catch RAW. But the thing that pisses me off is i've turned on which ever Sky Sports channel Smackdown! is scheduled to be broadcast, and a number of things can happen. The live sport before it such as tennis forces SD! to go over or move channel at no notice and the raw replays can be on at anytime.
Also, WWE and wrestling as a whole isn't that big in England due to the rise of MMA and the fact that wrestling is scripted. By putting TNA on a niche channel where the key demographic can access it, TNA gets slightly better ratings. On Sky, WWE has to compete with Football, Tennis, Golf, Rugby League and Union, Cricket and Boxing.
Also, WWE and wrestling as a whole isn't that big in England due to the rise of MMA and the fact that wrestling is scripted. By putting TNA on a niche channel where the key demographic can access it, TNA gets slightly better ratings. On Sky, WWE has to compete with Football, Tennis, Golf, Rugby League and Union, Cricket and Boxing.
It is fact, that the ratings taken into account are the first viewings of RAW & TNA.
So RAW's shitty rating at 2am is what is judged, while the repeat at a better time actually beats TNA, even with less possible households to view.
So essentially, Dixie is bragging that a 9pm friday viewing of TNA available to more then double the amount of potential viewers, beat a 2am showing of RAW with half the number of possible viewers.
So RAW's shitty rating at 2am is what is judged, while the repeat at a better time actually beats TNA, even with less possible households to view.
So essentially, Dixie is bragging that a 9pm friday viewing of TNA available to more then double the amount of potential viewers, beat a 2am showing of RAW with half the number of possible viewers.
I'd wager that the majority of WWE fans in the UK DVR RAW and watch it at a much more convenient time instead of waiting for the re-run on Thursday.
As for Dixie Carter bigging-up TNA's ratings in this part of the world, although it's a positive for TNA, it is a minor one. During the Monday Night Wars, Nitro and RAW were broadcast at the same time on Friday nights. Nitro was on a non-premium channel, whereas RAW was on SkySports, which you need to subscribe to in order to view it. WWE constantly won the ratings this side of the pond, even during the golden nWo era of 96-98. It didn't do Vince much good, considering that WCW was shitting all over his company in the USA.
Therefore, ratings in the UK don't determine the overall popularity of the brand/business. WWE still makes a lot of money on its European tours and as long as that continues, I doubt that Vince could give a flying fuck how many people in the UK watch TNA.
As for Dixie Carter bigging-up TNA's ratings in this part of the world, although it's a positive for TNA, it is a minor one. During the Monday Night Wars, Nitro and RAW were broadcast at the same time on Friday nights. Nitro was on a non-premium channel, whereas RAW was on SkySports, which you need to subscribe to in order to view it. WWE constantly won the ratings this side of the pond, even during the golden nWo era of 96-98. It didn't do Vince much good, considering that WCW was shitting all over his company in the USA.
Therefore, ratings in the UK don't determine the overall popularity of the brand/business. WWE still makes a lot of money on its European tours and as long as that continues, I doubt that Vince could give a flying fuck how many people in the UK watch TNA.
Jack-Hammer
YOU WILL RESPECT MY AUTHORITAH!!!!
As has been pointed out, there are a number of factors as to explain TNA's UK ratings. Most of the time, however, when I've looked at the UK ratings for both TNA and WWE, the WWE still often does outdraw TNA. Gerweck.net is a good site to find a lot of detailed ratings info including UK ratings and, more often than not, the WWE does better than TNA. Also, more often than not, Smackdown garners more viewers than either iMPACT! or Raw.
I haven't read what Dixie Carter has been bragging about regarding the ratings, but if she's trying to suggest that TNA has consistently dominated the WWE in the UK, then I'm afraid she's telling a little white lie. If she's touting the ratings because iMPACT! was #1 in the ratings this particular week, then she's blowing it a little out of proportion.
I haven't read what Dixie Carter has been bragging about regarding the ratings, but if she's trying to suggest that TNA has consistently dominated the WWE in the UK, then I'm afraid she's telling a little white lie. If she's touting the ratings because iMPACT! was #1 in the ratings this particular week, then she's blowing it a little out of proportion.
Bobbywoodhogan
Pre-Show Stalwart
Its mostly because you have to pay extras for the Sky Sports package which shows Raw and Smackdown whereas TNA is on Bravo which comes with the cheaper package. I also agree that the times the shows are on certainly benefits TNA more.