TNA announces changes to pay-per-view model in 2013

Remember when TNA President Dixie Carter said that she felt her pro wrestling promotion should only be running around six pay-per-view (PPV) events per year and any more was simply watering down the product? And then it was announced that a few shows had been cut from the schedule?

Well, they've taken it even farther than that.

Here's a press release issued today detailing the new PPV model TNA will run throughout this year, featuring a "Big Four" and seven PPV specials scattered throughout the other months:

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.

TNA has made a lot of mistakes during its decade long run as a company founded out of Nashville but this one actually sounds like a grand idea. WWE has seen its PPV business rise over the past year but there are legitimate questions over how long they can sustain that growth, if at all.

TNA, however, consistently does poor numbers in the 7-8,000 range, with only Jeff Hardy and major shows able to push them up and over the 10,000 barrier. The idea, of course, is that this will help push those numbers even higher.

You Cagesiders agree with this business plan?

UPDATE: Here is the pricing plan for each show.

One Night Only shows - $14.95
Genesis and Lockdown - $34.95
Slammiversary (and all live PPVs after) - $39.95
Bound for Glory - $44.95