Epitaph
05-23-2004, 09:39 AM
Excerpts from the 5/24 Wrestling Observer Newsletter
The deal with FSN is that even though the network dosen't have staggered feeds, the show will air at 3 p.m. every Friday starting on 6/4 on every timezone, so it will be at 3 p.m. Central, Mountain, and West Coast FSN affiliates. Company officials had to be scared to death when word got out that Max Kellerman's heavily pushed debut of his new show on FSN at 6 p.m. on 5/10 drew a 0.08 national rating. Wrestlers and all performers were told that they will get the same pay for television as they got for PPV.
TV is being shot at Universal Studios in Orlando every Thursday night starting at 7 p.m., which seems to make everyone happy and enthusiastic, as it is clear Panda is right now willing to spend money. they will tape several dark matches, which will air either for DVD releases or the Xplosion show (which will be continued), before shooting a one-hour live to tape show.
As things stand, the big wigs like Jarrett, Russo, Mantel, etc. will fly on a small charter on Wednesday night and start preparing for the show. The wrestlers will fly out commercial the first thing Thursday morning so they can get in late Thursday morning.
Company officials were trying to sell people on the horrid time slot with the idea that FSN network officials have such low expectations that this is just a way on and soon, if the ratings are strong, they'll get on prime time. The problem with prime time on FSN is that it means it's always pre-empted by local sports. Even if they get the improved Sunday morning slot. the WWE on Sunday Mornings on a mid level network is only doing a 0.5-0.7, so what can TNA do on a network with far less viwership? Even if the argument is that Experience is a "B" show for WWE as opposed to the only show, the fact was, ECW, far more popular than TNA, never in any week ever outrated even the lowest rated "C" show for WWF or WCW. Even if it does a 0.3 (which would be about 240,000 homes), and FSN officials should be thrilled, what will it mean for PPV growth? ECW averaged 0.9 at a time when wrestling was far hotter, and they ended up having an overall revenue decline over the course of the year from the previous year, when they had no national outlet (this isn't that TV hurt them, but that they lost key pieces of talent during that year). The whole key for TV is to get buys up to 25,000 per week so it can be profitable. Then again, 25,000 is not such a ridiculous number that if they present a good product they may mot be able to get it. But with a bad product, it has no chance, since WCW was down around 55,000 buys at the end of monthly shows when they had four hours of prime time wrestlind that hit 2 million homes twice a week.
They look to be phasing out the NWA name, because they don't own it. They have set up a new tnawrestling website domain name and on their current nwatna.com website, all the NWA references are gone except for a small NWA logo and the belts being called NWA world heavyweight and NWA world tag team, but references to the product are now called "TNA Wrestling."
Jimmy Hart, who is now affiliated with the group, was on a radio show hinting about Hulk Hogan, which is probably the second worst thing they could do. They were also hinting about Ultimate Warrior coming in, which is the worst thing they could do. There is no point in bringing up any names unless they have signed commitments, because the company has been burned so many times by verbal commitments from guys out of the past, that push come to shove, really don't want to be associated with what is, in their mind, a minor league product. They were even hinting Austin's name, and while you never say never, Austin never has anything good to say about Jeff or Jerry Jarrett and I'd be more shocked to see Austin come in here than to see Bruno Sammartino wrestle Bret Hart in the main event of next year's Wrestlemania.
Jeff Jarret was on the Best Damn Sorts Show, and instead of putting over the talent he had, showed clips of Brian Urlacher (okay,I'd have brought that clip), the Tennessee Titans (that was two years ago) and talked about Hogan. As long as you talk about guys you don't have as bigger stars than the guys you do have, the guys you do have will never be stars, which is key to the company getting over.
The company is also said to be making new ring outfits for everyone. The wrestlers were also told to dress up coming to the building for shows from this point forward. There is a mentality that old timers have, and there may be some truth to it, and that is people won't pay to see people like themselves, so to be a star, you have to dress like a star and stay away from being buddies with the fans. You should be nice to the fans, but idea of drinking beer with them after the show in the parking lot isn't a good idea.
Well that's a interesting read.
For me, If there product is no longer called NWA TNA, i dont think they should be aloud to use the NWA belt. The belt has so much Prestige behind it, Yet i dont think it's at all fair for them to Phase out the NWA part of the history and Especially to carry on using the belt!!
Also is it me, But i think it's Stupid for them to be hinting at Austin, Warrior and Hogan turning up in TNAW!! I mean let's face it, Warrior NEVER could Wrestle, Hogan is the type of guy that Will drop you in it, and i no Austin has Heat with Jeff after refusing to work a program with him. I really cant see Austin working for TNAW, That's the thing, Japan are interested in him and COULD afford to Pay him his Fee's, Hogan i think would Drop TNAW in it once again though. Infact do you think TNAW could afford all 3 guy's Fee's on the same show? I think that it's just a case of them trying to draw in New Fan's!!
If they want to draw new fan's in then they need to change the way they do there product and FOCUS on more Wrestling.
Interesting Read!
Thoughs?
The deal with FSN is that even though the network dosen't have staggered feeds, the show will air at 3 p.m. every Friday starting on 6/4 on every timezone, so it will be at 3 p.m. Central, Mountain, and West Coast FSN affiliates. Company officials had to be scared to death when word got out that Max Kellerman's heavily pushed debut of his new show on FSN at 6 p.m. on 5/10 drew a 0.08 national rating. Wrestlers and all performers were told that they will get the same pay for television as they got for PPV.
TV is being shot at Universal Studios in Orlando every Thursday night starting at 7 p.m., which seems to make everyone happy and enthusiastic, as it is clear Panda is right now willing to spend money. they will tape several dark matches, which will air either for DVD releases or the Xplosion show (which will be continued), before shooting a one-hour live to tape show.
As things stand, the big wigs like Jarrett, Russo, Mantel, etc. will fly on a small charter on Wednesday night and start preparing for the show. The wrestlers will fly out commercial the first thing Thursday morning so they can get in late Thursday morning.
Company officials were trying to sell people on the horrid time slot with the idea that FSN network officials have such low expectations that this is just a way on and soon, if the ratings are strong, they'll get on prime time. The problem with prime time on FSN is that it means it's always pre-empted by local sports. Even if they get the improved Sunday morning slot. the WWE on Sunday Mornings on a mid level network is only doing a 0.5-0.7, so what can TNA do on a network with far less viwership? Even if the argument is that Experience is a "B" show for WWE as opposed to the only show, the fact was, ECW, far more popular than TNA, never in any week ever outrated even the lowest rated "C" show for WWF or WCW. Even if it does a 0.3 (which would be about 240,000 homes), and FSN officials should be thrilled, what will it mean for PPV growth? ECW averaged 0.9 at a time when wrestling was far hotter, and they ended up having an overall revenue decline over the course of the year from the previous year, when they had no national outlet (this isn't that TV hurt them, but that they lost key pieces of talent during that year). The whole key for TV is to get buys up to 25,000 per week so it can be profitable. Then again, 25,000 is not such a ridiculous number that if they present a good product they may mot be able to get it. But with a bad product, it has no chance, since WCW was down around 55,000 buys at the end of monthly shows when they had four hours of prime time wrestlind that hit 2 million homes twice a week.
They look to be phasing out the NWA name, because they don't own it. They have set up a new tnawrestling website domain name and on their current nwatna.com website, all the NWA references are gone except for a small NWA logo and the belts being called NWA world heavyweight and NWA world tag team, but references to the product are now called "TNA Wrestling."
Jimmy Hart, who is now affiliated with the group, was on a radio show hinting about Hulk Hogan, which is probably the second worst thing they could do. They were also hinting about Ultimate Warrior coming in, which is the worst thing they could do. There is no point in bringing up any names unless they have signed commitments, because the company has been burned so many times by verbal commitments from guys out of the past, that push come to shove, really don't want to be associated with what is, in their mind, a minor league product. They were even hinting Austin's name, and while you never say never, Austin never has anything good to say about Jeff or Jerry Jarrett and I'd be more shocked to see Austin come in here than to see Bruno Sammartino wrestle Bret Hart in the main event of next year's Wrestlemania.
Jeff Jarret was on the Best Damn Sorts Show, and instead of putting over the talent he had, showed clips of Brian Urlacher (okay,I'd have brought that clip), the Tennessee Titans (that was two years ago) and talked about Hogan. As long as you talk about guys you don't have as bigger stars than the guys you do have, the guys you do have will never be stars, which is key to the company getting over.
The company is also said to be making new ring outfits for everyone. The wrestlers were also told to dress up coming to the building for shows from this point forward. There is a mentality that old timers have, and there may be some truth to it, and that is people won't pay to see people like themselves, so to be a star, you have to dress like a star and stay away from being buddies with the fans. You should be nice to the fans, but idea of drinking beer with them after the show in the parking lot isn't a good idea.
Well that's a interesting read.
For me, If there product is no longer called NWA TNA, i dont think they should be aloud to use the NWA belt. The belt has so much Prestige behind it, Yet i dont think it's at all fair for them to Phase out the NWA part of the history and Especially to carry on using the belt!!
Also is it me, But i think it's Stupid for them to be hinting at Austin, Warrior and Hogan turning up in TNAW!! I mean let's face it, Warrior NEVER could Wrestle, Hogan is the type of guy that Will drop you in it, and i no Austin has Heat with Jeff after refusing to work a program with him. I really cant see Austin working for TNAW, That's the thing, Japan are interested in him and COULD afford to Pay him his Fee's, Hogan i think would Drop TNAW in it once again though. Infact do you think TNAW could afford all 3 guy's Fee's on the same show? I think that it's just a case of them trying to draw in New Fan's!!
If they want to draw new fan's in then they need to change the way they do there product and FOCUS on more Wrestling.
Interesting Read!
Thoughs?