FanPost

Who is watching TNA and how do they grow viewership?

Anybody who is part of the IWC, or at least the "more serious about it" wrestling community knows about TNA. Odds are the majority have sampled it. Either the community is too small or it just turned its back on it. I understand they have had issues with a place for their TV show recently, but the organization's been around a long time.

So...who is watching? Is it a section of this serious wrestling community that will view anything put on screen? Is it people who reject the WWE's programming and are looking for an alternative? Is it diehard TNA fans who simply bought in at some point?

Truth is, it doesn't matter. It's not enough. While dollar figures have been greatly speculated upon, nobody has disagreed that Panda Energy and Bob Carter (Dixie's dad) have substantially funded a money-losing company. The deeper the pockets, the longer this can go on, but in the end, failures fail.

If TNA was given a one-year from today deadline to turn things around or be shut down, would they continue on the same path or would they shake things up? I would like to think survival instincts would dictate they couldn't continue the way they are.

I think the casual wrestling fan does not see them as an alternative to WWE, they see them as an addendum. They are a glorified indy, much like NXT or ROH, to the kind of person who isn't perusing Internet sites all day. The WWE provides enough programming in a week. Casual fans don't watch all of it right now anyway, why would they add hours to their viewing, especially if it's not an equal to, or different than, product?

It seem to me there is only one option: You invent something different.

ECW invented a certain style to show it was an alternative. WCW, with the NWO, turned around the failing path it was taking. Why are fans buzzing about the probably New Japan signings? Because it will mean something different.

There are two ways to go with this, which I'll get into, but the first thing that needs to happen is that Dixie Carter relinquishes day-to-day control. You tried, you failed. The sooner you own it, the sooner things have a chance at turning around. She needs to not be like the restaurant owner on Kitchen Nightmares who would rather see their place fold with their ideas tanking than have somebody come in with different ideas and succeed. History has proven Dixie Carter will not turn TNA around.

Next, you have to do one of two things. First is you hire somebody who has a track record of thinking outside the box and will deliver a DIFFERENT product. Three names come to mind: Eric Bischoff, Vince Russo and Jim Cornette. Before you scoff, say they're washed up and they don't have what it takes, realize why you're saying it. They are lightning rods for controversy who have gone too far, been too outlandish and handled things in too extreme a way in the past. That's what TNA needs. They don't need a corporate person with a lack of balls and creativity. People may hate that trio, but I look at it this way: If the ship is going down, do you want somebody trying to bail water or do you want somebody who is going to find a way, regardless of the casualities, to get that ship to shore? Yes, the boat usually sinks, but at least somebody had the gumption to try. And yes, these men have all worked in TNA before, but this time, no filters. No rules...if they can get it on TV, you let them get it on TV and you cross your fingers.

The other option is to bring someone in who knows wrestling, but has never worked in it. This may sound crazy as well, but with the names listed above, and with everybody currently on the TNA booking staff (along with technically everybody who currently is or has worked in wrestling) they all have a certain way of doing things. They all view things through a certain lens. There is somebody out there with a different lens to look through. There may be somebody with completely fresh ideas out there. It's clearly not Billy Corgan, but is there a casual 22-year-old wrestling fan with a creative writing degree who isn't married to the established tropes in wrestling? What harm would it be to let somebody who isn't at all tainted or jaded try fixing things. Can it get worse?

I know neither of these things will happen and I know one day we'll see the headline that TNA has closed its offices. It will not come as a shock to any of us. I'd just like to see them try something, anything, that shows they want to survive. Signing James Storm is not that thing. You will not grow viewership that way. After a decade, you've seen what happens with viewership when you present what you have. Now, it's time to shake things up radically and hope to attract some new eyeballs.

The FanPosts are solely the subjective opinions of Cageside Seats readers and do not necessarily reflect the views of Cageside Seats editors or staff.