Source: Various
The final cable rating and viewership estimates for this week’s episode of iMPACT Wrestling on Spike TV are now available. TNA Wrestling’s flagship show had a strong increase in both its final ratings number and overall viewership as compared to last week. This week’s episode of the show scored a final cable rating of 1.17 which represented about 1,714,000 viewers over the course of the show’s two hours. This week’s final rating is 0.09 of a point lower (and about 95,000 less viewers) than last week’s episode, which scored a final cable rating of 1.26 with an average audience of 1,809,000 viewers
We also know a little bit about the ratings breakdown by hour from this week’s show. The first hour of this week’s iMPACT Wrestling on Spike TV scored a final cable rating of 1.14 while the second hour scored a final cable rating of 1.20. Last night’s iMPACT Wrestling on Spike TV had more viewers than programming on other cable channels like A&E.
For comparison’s sake, TNAStars.com used to promote a completely fictitious Thursday Night War as a comedy piece on this website. WWE may have won the short-lived 2010 Monday Night War, but TNA Wrestling won the 2010 – 2011 Thursday Night War!
If you’re interested in iMPACT!’s ratings performance for 2010 and the first half of 2011, then check out TNAStars.com’s Ratings War area. In the Ratings War area you can see a comparison of iMPACT! vs. Monday Night RAW and iMPACT! vs. Superstars from all of 2010 and 2011. Enjoy!
Oh for God’s sakes. What on earth does IMPACT WRESTLING have to do to pop a big number?! They just rebranded, they hyped the show, it was an event AFTER a PPV, and they got a number that they could of gotten higher 3 years ago. This last IMPACT WRESTLING broadcast was good, no, it was, IMO, THE BEST show in a LONG time. So well laid out, enough of a balance between action and promo’s, etc.
After watching that show, it should have been ATLEAST a 3.0. That’s how good I thought it was. I’m worried that with all this hard work, that none of it will ever pay off, simply because “fans” won’t give the product a chance in hell. I hope now with the rebranding that we see atleast a 1.6 as an average rating rather than 1.2.
You dude, after watching the show it doesn’t surprise me a bit. I was barely entertained.Saying impact deserved a 3.0 is a little over the top. The day tna impact run in the 3’s is when WWE runs in the
6’s rating range. Your ratings reflect what your fans think of your products.
so stop blaming the fans for your inability keep your tv audience tuned to your show…seems like tna has an “Action Reaction to the WWE” ..kinda like see how and what they do and see what we are going about it..
I know its bs. But the wrestling fans will regret when tna goes out of business. I don’t see Why the ratings decrease other than, maby some of the promos, just make you wanna change the channel. They need to revamp the entire creative team, they should have done that a long time ago.
Otherwise Vince is going to end up buying it. Then there will Be no wrestling. I’m still shocked at the ratings decrease. But Impact needs to break out the old wwf tapes. Half of them should already know what people like..
I’m not really sure what the main factor is going to be to get the ratings to increase, but I think it’s probably going to have to be a variety of things – all of which we talked about here.
First, they need to get out of the iMPACT! Zone (the highest rating this year was a 1.37 for the first live-to-tape Fayetteville, North Carolina show). Second, they’re going to need more “in the now” stars (a guy like John Cena for WWE or Steve Austin and/or The Rock for the late 1990’s WWE). Third, they’re going to need to promote the heck out of the show (even more so than they did this week, which I agree with Radiitz – was promoted to no end).
It’s going to be a long, hard road (i.e. they can’t “get out of the iMPACT! Zone” so easily because these shows on the road cost a ton of money), but I’m sure this promotion can make it happen.
I think though we need to understand 1.5 million viewers with the demographics TNA is bringing in is by no means a failure. In our minds we are comparing TNA’s numbers to WWE’s, but I think if you asked any network exec to buy a show that guaranteed that many male viewers every week they would jump on it.
WWE and WCW(transitioning from NWA) built audiences for over 20 years before they ever had a million and a half viewers. TNA in seven years is doing this.
I still feel that Impact can do numbers comparable to Smackdown. They pulled 1.37 this year. They pulled a 1.45 and 1.38 last year while in direct competition on RAW.
The problem could be that for some reason (the Impact Zone), they may draw people for a week or two and then the numbers deflate back down to their regular numbers. Small ups and downs don’t worry me, as sometimes I have to catch a replay (like I did this week). But as far as significant growth… it’s something that TNA’s still gotta work on.
Additionally, if growth means being too much like WWE, then personally, I’d rather them not grow, and instead maintain the 1.5 million viewers that they get consistently. Blatantly attempting to be the opposite of WWE may be a weird choice for some and a horrible choice for others, but for me (and 1.5 million other people), it’s exactly what we want to see, and exactly what the business needs, whether those other 1.5 mill watch WWE or not.
I agree marketing themselves as an alternative is a great start. I also agree that TNA has the ability to match or exceed Smackdown or RAW, but I don’t think people should be disappointed if they don’t quite yet.
I think of KIA. A couple of years ago they redesigned and re-engineered their entire line. Now they put out some of the most high quality cars in the world. But do to a few years of hits and misses, they still only sell 350000 or so vehicles a year. Nowhere close to Honda, GM, or Ford, but they are still successful.
Awareness is up due to advertising and word of mouth. The product is solid. Unfortunately there are a set number of buyers looking for cars each year. 90% of buyers have brand loyalty. the other 10% shop on ads and word of mouth. It takes awhile to chip away no matter how good a car you put out.
The vast majority of people that enjoy wrestling moved to WWE when WCW was sold. It will take awhile no matter what TNA does to gain a share of this. Until then they will have to bring in non wrestling audiences as well as get WWE fans to give them a try.
@Bosco
“I was barely entertained.Saying impact deserved a 3.0 is a little over the top.”
– Your opinion. Come on now, even the haters were saying it was actually pretty good (what with the mix of action/promo time and all). But hey, I guess you can never please everyone no matter what you do.
The rest of what you said made absolutely no sense to me. Sorry…
I agree with Joe, they need to get out of the iMPACT Zone bad. I wish they could tape in arenas that they run their house shows at. I don’t see how it wouldn’t work, they have the set up. You don’t need a lavish set, just an un-zombified audience.
I think TNA needs to realize what’s clicking with the fans and what’s not and make quick adjustments. I might get heat for this, but Jeff Jarrett is the most entertaining act in TNA right now. I’ve been a fan of his for years and the guy just gets better and better. Fans already are responding to Jarrett (and his segments are the best and highest rated parts of the show), just make him a main eventer and let him work his magic.
What’s the use of having Knockout Tag Title belts when they are hadly ever defended and I have to actually take the time to look up who has the belts? The Television Title needs to actually be defended on TV, and if used appropriately, can be a great ratings draw and a great device for a heel to get over (a lot like the WCW TV Title did, or was suppose to do)
I think the show should have had a lot more wrestling. The fake sting act was annoying. I understood why it was done, but they could have had Anderson attack after a main-event match. It’s IMPACT WRESTLING, “Where Wrestling Matters,” they need to start showing that it does matter.
Get rid of Hulk Hogan and don’t ever let him back.