Source: Impact Wrestling
TNA Impact Wrestling today announced a new worldwide Pay-Per-View programming initiative for 2013. The 52 annual episodes of Impact Wrestling on SpikeTV will lead to four, live epic Pay-Per-View events commencing with “Genesis” on January 13th, “Lockdown” on March 10th, “Slammiversary” on June 9 and “Bound For Glory” on October 13th.
In addition, seven Pay-Per-View specials that will be branded as “TNA Wrestling: One Night Only,” series will debut in April 2013 and continue throughout the year during the additional months. The 3-hour taped Pay-Per-View specials will premiere on the first Friday of each month. The first two “One Night Only” specials will be “Joker’s Wild Tag Team Tournament” and “X-travaganza” which will feature the X-Division.
“The Pay-Per-View industry has changed so much in the last decade,” says TNA President Dixie Carter. “The traditional pay-per-view wrestling model needed to evolve and we believe this strategy will positively impact not only the Pay-Per-View events but the weekly television programming as well.”
The company will continue to produce TNA Wrestling’s “Unfinished Business”, which are one-hour programs available on a Video on Demand (VOD) basis. The monthly titles continue to focus on the history of a rivalry or a specific past PPV event. These titles are available for two months at a time.
I’ve wanted the WWE to have less PPVs for a year and TNA does it instead. It’s a smart move by TNA. A lot of people complain that TNA needs to get out of the Impact Zone and hopefully next year TNA might at least be able to get all of their PPVs outside of the Impact Zone. TNA doesn’t need 12 PPVs a year and with four, it almost seems like TNA are going back to basics like when the WWE only promoted 5 PPVs a year (Royal Rumble, WrestleMania, King of the Ring, SummerSlam and Survivor Series) and every one of them were special events that each had their main theme and each were special in their own right.
This is completely unrelated, but I really like the logo of the One Night Only. TNA really steps it up when it comes to those kinds of things.
It sounds as though they are keeping the same number of PPVs, but putting more emphasis on a handful of them.
This reminds me more of the “In Your House!” days of WWE.
I think it’s a step in the right direction, although I’m saddened to see Destination X did not make the cut … what’s going to happen to Austin Ares’ initiative and legacy? What happens to the X Division champ cashing in his hard won championship for a TNA Title shot?
I would have rather had Destination X than Genesis.
So there will be PPV’s but they will be taped besides the big 4? It seems it will be hard to get people to get anyone to pay for a taped PPV, part of the incentive I think in getting a PPV is to find out what happens as it is happening. I couldnt imagine reading spoilers and then buying the PPV.
I suspect that they’re keeping the same number of pay-per-views because they have contractual obligations with the pay-per-view providers to produce a certain number of hours each month/year. However, I’m one of the many voices that has been clamoring for less pay-per-views from the big wrestling companies. And while I understand that TNA is going to do these One Night Only events to fill in the gaps between the big pay-per-views, I hope that this change is also a chance for the return of free mega shows like the Clash of the Champions.
Bringing back free, major shows like the Clash would really be a major improvement for the business. Gotta create the “big show” feeling on the free mega shows to make people want to buy the big pay-per-views!