Why Does TNA Connect With the UK Audience in a Such a Big Way?

[Wald]

Was thinking about this recently. In case you're unaware of it, TNA routinely beats WWE in the ratings over here in Ireland and the UK, but why?

Some have said that it's because TNA is delivered into more homes than the WWE, but I don't think that's much of a factor. Most people have Sky Sports now, and whilst TNA does get into more homes with Challenge, it's pretty much a joke TV station that no-one really watches (except for Impact it seems). Basically the better exposure by numbers is lessened by the lesser exposure given by their channel in general.

So how come TNA connect over here in a way that they don't really in the US?

 

[ヒュー　G.　レックション]

I'm a Brit and I enjoy TNA more than WWE. I'll agree with your point on Sky Sports.

Now I don't know the ratings for either show over here. A possible reason TNA beats WWE, is because I know WWE shows RAW and Smackdown live. Which when you factor in timezones, means its shown at around 1am. Now I think even at that time it still does decent, personally I can't believe people stay up that late to watch it, when I would watch I'd record it.

However I do know Sky Sports repeats the raws and smackdowns in normal slots, so if you were add the ratings of the original and repeat showings (nobody's gonna watch it twice lol) I think you'd get a good idea of what the overall rating is. Whether it beats TNA I dunno.

Almost all of my friends that watch TNA much prefer it to WWE, but then again we're all adults. I know I prefer a more mature product, me and my friends are not a fan of the PG kiddy segments. This could apply across the nation, like I said I don't know what the real numbers are over here.

 

[dotty_84]

Sky is in 16 Million homes in the UK, not all 16 Million will have the Sky Sports package either. Challenge TV is in the Freeview package which is built into every tv set for say about a year or 2 years now. Also a freeview box costs about 15-30 at cheapest, so it's not exactly hard to buy.

This is the only reason TNA wins, regardless, the viewing figures are pretty close also. If you doubled the Sky per home to around 30 million then TNA wouldn't be near TNA.

Just saying i watch WWE more than TNA but i don't bash on TNA product, i'm just stating that if you look at housing figures to what is available that explains it.

 

[Danger Burger]

From Ireland here, i guess i'll throw in my two cents!!

Every week Monday Night RAW begins live in Ireland at ONE in the morning!! Whether you like it or not, that effects viewers especially the workers and teenagers! The repeat is often heavily edited too so i never ever look at it!

That and sky sports is an add on to what comes for cheaper, so alot of people dont have sky at home (myself included... Though where i'm living i dont even have a tv, so i'm not effecting any numbers!!)

Challenge is also surrounded by channels like comedy central, sky one and a few others lke E4 (though i'm not sure if you guys have the later two) but thered be alot of flicking over and back and youll just end up catching a glimps and sticking around.. Atleast thats how i started watching!!

Shi...ugar The guys above me already said all this! I like both, but i watch online or with a crowd! Wrestling is fun!!

 

[sajsSAMynwa1892]

Simple answer is that Challenge is available to far more homes than Sky Sports, that is all.

 

[harrythem]

Simply put, it's down to Challenge. When TNA was on Bravo (which isn't part of the basic sky or freeview package) their ratings were below WWE. As soon as it moves over, they get more viewers. Hell, they can't even sell out Wembley Arena, let alone the O2, so it's clear that, when wrestling's free, us Brits are tight bastards and take the free option over the paying one.

 

[gwarren]

WWE seriously needs to start looking at their international market more I'd they want better PPV buys.

Does any straight thinking WWE official really think people here in Britain are going to stay up till 1am to watch Raw live? PPVs are even worse, they wonder why numbers are down, it's because Americans are the only section of their audience that PPVs are shown at a sociable time. Simple stuff really. Oh, and WWE needs a better deal than Sky Sports, a) It's a premium channel, b) They have to give us like 4/5 free PPVs a year.

 

[Ryyu]

TNA always compares the 1 AM Raw showings with the 9PM Nitro... I mean Impact showing. Truth be told most of the UK wrestling fans i know either Sky Plus or stream it as waiting for the repeat is not the best thing to do. I do know many of them who watch Impact, but almost none say its better than the WWE product. Simple case in point, usually get 5-6 people round for the WWE PPVs, while usually just 2 of us for the TNA ones with the others not bothering to watch it.

But still, the honest truth? We are starved for Wrestling, Good UK indie shows are like rocking horse shite, WWE barely comes here and when it does its always f**king Smackdown house shows. Add to that that most of the older UK fans are much more smarky than most american fans (ones that are willing to pay for the shows anyway) so the idea of seeing Angle, AJ, Joe etc is much more appealing.

But yeah, Free TV vs a small fortune a month.

 

[Kanomaniac]

Like alot of people have said already it's the fact TNA is on free tv and WWE is on sky. But people concerned about the 1/2am start time it's not hard to record it on skyplus the repeats are edited out especially the afternoon/evening time slots on Friday and Saturday. But having said that the only reason I have sky is too watch WWE and football I dont mind paying some money I have gone to work for all month to watch WWE because its a damn better product than TNA. I have given TNA all the chances to win me over to there product which is a shame because I use to like TNA alot, i've been to two maximum impact tours in Manchester and really enjoyed them...but TNA as a company...a business have to look into the fact that there giving there weekly show and monthly ppv's away for free it really can't be good for there long term stability.

 

[jobesukulele]

Was thinking about this recently. In case you're unaware of it, TNA routinely beats WWE in the ratings over here in Ireland and the UK, but why?

Some have said that it's because TNA is delivered into more homes than the WWE, but I don't think that's much of a factor. Most people have Sky Sports now, and whilst TNA does get into more homes with Challenge, it's pretty much a joke TV station that no-one really watches (except for Impact it seems). Basically the better exposure by numbers is lessened by the lesser exposure given by their channel in general.

So how come TNA connect over here in a way that they don't really in the US?

I know a lot of people back in my local area before I moved; quite a poor overpopulated area (I won't go into location details), out of all the homes I know a whole three that have Sky Sports where every single house had Challenge.

So,
Reason 1: A lot more homes DO get Challenge than Sky Sports.

There's a second reason too...

Reason 2: Raw airs at 2am Tuesday morning (Where no one who goes to school or who works can watch it), where as Impact is aired Sunday at 9pm... Not only a very watchable time but also on a night where there is absolutely nothing else on TV.

 

[vampirek]

Well first of all like with another ratings in the UK, the BARB system used is flawed and are purely an estimate based on averages. Secondly with such features like Sky+, the results will change a day later or a week later depending on when it was watch and therefore original results are hardily anything to go by anymore.

Other factors such as repeats and the mess Sky makes of Smackdown nearly every week by moving it for live sports, meaning at times it starts a good hour or two after it was suppose to.

That being said, the UK has always had a place for wrestling. TNA connects because of that, simple as. You could place ROH on lets say Channel 5 (the lower channel of the original analogue 5) and it would still connect with the audience and bring in viewers.

I'll even go on to say this, TNA gives you everything from its products on one channel (be it on time delay) whereas WWE on Sky doesn't. In order to view PPVS, 75% are on Box Office... where in this country hardily anything apart from movies are on Sky Box Office anymore. Such a model doesn't really work in the UK anymore and are usually left to specialist channels (which are only brought by people with the intention of streaming it online anyways). Other things such as Smackdown often being swap from Sky Sports 3 (which is suppose to be the intended home for WWE) to Sky Sports 4. You then have the likes of Superstars being swapped from Sky Sports to Sky1... it really should be kept in one place.

 

[ヒュー　G.　レックション]

Yeah that's another thing guys, we get TNA PPV's for free here, although they're shown on Wednesday, about 4 hours long due to advertisements being added, so I always record them too lol

WWE well I always thought 6 PPV's were free and 6 you had to pay for, they cost around £15 ($25) but when you factor in the sky subscription costs I guess it evens out in the end.