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CALDWELL'S TAKE
CALDWELL'S BLOG: If you believe TNA is heading in the right direction creatively, then don't read this blog Oct 13, 2009 - 1:35:57 PM
Welcome to the blog. You're obviously ready to face the facts and figures on TNA's weekly audience shrinking, not growing. We're not talking about an isolated week or two where there's something else on TV that might catch the attention of a typical TNA Impact viewer.
Bottom line is TNA's audience is consistently finding something better on TV to watch on Thursday nights. And this comes right before TNA's biggest PPV of the year. Or, as TNA president Dixie Carter would tell you, TNA's biggest PPV ever.
The evidence is there that the number of key male viewers watching Impact is shrinking, not growing compared to one year ago. I believe the creative direction of the product is the culprit, more than just what's on TV elsewhere.
In my Impact ratings report, I pointed out the Male 18-34 demo hit its lowest mark since June 2008. Now, it's easy to write that off as a one time deal. Big playoff baseball games on TBS. College Football on ESPN between two ranked teams. Matt Morgan would yell in a loud voice while bench-pressing 650 pounds with one hand that he needs to see trends. Trends!!!
Here's a trend. Continuing to look at the key male 18-34 demo, TNA's five week average from the September 10 - October 8 episodes is a 0.74 rating. To find a five-week stretch lower than the 0.74 rating, you have to go back to July 2008. A five-week stretch from July 3 - July 31 averaged a 0.69 rating in the male 18-34 demo.
Going back to July 2008 includes skipping all of ESPN's college football coverage on Thursday nights last year and all of TBS's MLB Playoff coverage from last year. TNA's core, male audience is consistently tuning out. TNA has always been able to depend on a loyal audience watching the product no matter what, but now the audience level is shrinking.
What more evidence is required to show the creative direction of the product is not working? Jim Cornette said in an interview last week that he was part of a company shrinking, not growing. As far as TV audience is concerned, the evidence is there to support Cornette's claim.
This isn't just so-and-so doesn't like this aspect of the product or this person wants to see more wrestling or this person isn't interested in Wrestler X vs. Wrestler Y, so they're going to write off the entire show as crap. The tough pill to swallow for TNA management is that no one should be 100 percent behind TNA's creative direction right now. It's right there in the numbers.
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