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When looking back on the year that was in TNA, 2012 has to be considered a disappointment. The folks at PWTorch.com compiled the average ratings over the past six years Impact Wrestling has been broadcast on Spike TV and the numbers show that 2012 was the lowest rated during that span.
2007 - 1.05 rating
2008 - 1.06 rating
2009 - 1.15 rating (pre-Hogan)
2010 - 1.06 rating (includes switch to Monday nights & switch back to Thursdays)
2011 - 1.17 rating
2012 - 1.02 rating (1.07 first-half, 0.97 second-half)
It appeared the company was turning the corner in 2011, with the breakup of Beer Money and the rise of Bobby Roode and James Storm to close the year out. That momentum did not carry over in 2012, however, despite creative changes at the top. An increased emphasis on building previous undercard talent as top stars, like Austin Aries, looks to have hurt.
So has the ill-fated Aces and 8s angle TNA has shown on signs of giving up on.
Here's the month-by-month breakdown and you can see that the second half of the year was the worst:
Jan. 2012: 1.15 rating
Feb. 2012: 1.11 rating
Mar. 2012: 1.04 rating
Apr. 2012: 1.01 rating
May 2012: 1.01 rating (includes first live show 5/31)
June 2012: 0.98 rating
July 2012: 0.96 rating
Aug. 2012: 1.04 rating (reversed six-month slide)
Sept. 2012: 0.98 rating
Oct. 2012: 0.92 rating (BFG month)
Nov. 2012: 0.96 rating
Dec. 2012: 0.97 rating
Part of that has to do with a timeslot change, as Impact was moved to an hour earlier in preparation for Bellator this coming year, but if it wasn't obvious Aces and 8s needs to go before, it should be now.
Going live didn't help ratings, although that shouldn't discourage them from continuing on with that path. Unfortunately, the biggest problem still seems to be Hulk Hogan making Impact his vanity show, as his daughter Brooke is hogging up the main event spotlight in a love affair angle with Bully Ray that is doing nothing but dragging him down after he's done the best work of his career the past two years.
There's hope yet with the right creative in place but the continued power of Hogan and Eric Bischoff has doomed the show to mediocre outings more often than not.