By James Caldwell, PWTorch assistant editor

TNA Impact on Thursday, October 18 scored a 0.99 rating off a first hour 0.95 rating and second hour 1.03 rating.

There is encouraging and discouraging news in both hours. The first hour showed an increase in the typical audience level compared to the previous 20 shows in the earlier timeslot. The discouraging news is that all four quarter-hours in the second hour were below the live summer average. The result is a wash for an episode that scraped 1.0 the show after TNA's biggest PPV of the year.

Within the quarter-hour ratings, a piece of encouraging news is the peak rating (1.06) was at the end of the show for Sting vs. Devon. However, it was only slightly higher than a 1.05 rating at the start of the second hour.

First Hour Break Down

Q1: Impact opened with a 0.94 rating for Devon's show-opening promo explaining his Aces & Eights alliance, one commercial, and Hulk Hogan setting up Sting vs. Devon for the main event. This was the highest-rated Q1 since August 30. (up 7.6% vs. Q1 average during live run.)

Q2: Impact dipped slightly to a 0.92 rating for a video package, commercial break, Hulk Hogan backstage, and an unhyped Samoa Joe vs. Robbie E. TV Title match. (up 1.8% vs. Q2 average during live run.)

Q3: Impact hit the low-point on the night with a 0.91 rating for Tara vs. ODB in Knockouts action, plus two full commercial breaks affecting the rating. (down 2.4% vs. Q3 average during live run.)

Q4: Impact springboarded to a 1.01 rating for video packages and backstage segments, Hernandez & Chavo vs. Gunner & Kid Kash, Jeff Hardy backstage, and Hogan talking to Sting and Bully Ray in his office leading to the top of the hour. It had been three weeks since a first hour quarter-hour cracked a 1.0 rating and only the second time in the past seven weeks. (up 8.8% vs. Q4 average during live run.)

Second Hour Break Down

Q5: Impact increased slightly to a 1.05 rating at the start of the second hour for Jeff Hardy's TNA Title celebration and Austin Aries interruption. This was followed by one commercial. The segment was actually down compared to the top-of-the-second-hour average during the live run. (down 1.4% vs. Q5 live summer run.)

Q6: Impact dipped back to the Q4 rating with a 1.01 for A.J. Styles vs. Kurt Angle vs. Daniels, Matt Morgan & Joey Ryan backstage with Hulk Hogan, and half of a commercial. (down 2.2% vs. Q6 average during live summer run.)

Q7: Impact dipped below the benchmark with a 0.99 rating for James Storm's victory speech interrupted by Bobby Roode and one-and-a-half commercials affecting the rating. (down 3.7% vs. Q7 average during live summer run.)

Q8: Impact increased to a 1.06 rating for Sting vs. Devon, one mid-match commercial, and a post-match brawl. (down 1.1% vs. Q8 average during live summer run.)

[Torch art credit Grant Gould (c) PWTorch.com]

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