TNA Goes BIG
"WWE had practically no real entrance stage"
Many non and TNA fans, talent from either company and even current and past TNA executives have ideas on how TNA can grow to one day be as or nearly as big as WWE.
But what is the real way to get, to quote Hulk Hogan, "TNA to the next level"?
The number one idea or advise or move that most will agree on, is to take IMPACT WRESTLING
on the road. We're not talking about house shows of course. We are talking about IMPACT WRESTLING, the TV show.
Now what is the difference of taking the TV show on the road compared to the house shows?
If TNA IMPACT WRESTLING house shows draw anywhere from 300-500 fans (WWE draws thousands) why would IMPACT WRESTLING TV shows be any better on the road?
TV shows have fallow up. They have more to them such as big angles, title matches, and all of the big stars and production. Of course, the number one issue with this is idea is money. It costs a lot of money to take a TV show on the road, especially a live one. But as Hogan has stated before, you spend money
to make money. The fact is, TNA fans and Universal Orlando tourists, go into IMPACT WRESTLING without paying anything to TNA. Does IMPACT have to be live every week on the road? No. Do they need as big of a production as they have in the IMPACTzone? No. For years WWE had practically no real entrance stage. Even the first Wrestlemania entrance "stages" were a simple decoration around the built-in arenas' entrance. Sure, the nice stages look great and provide extra room for the talent to perform,
but you can take a look back at old WWE shows, and any other show like AWA for that matter, and those issues can be worked around and you end up forgetting about stages and titantrons.
With the idea of needing to take IMPACT TV on the road established, I'll move on to the next move.
MARKETING/PROMOTING
"Vince McMahon and his genius marketing/promoting"
Surely we all know the WWE was a big company before they began to invite or get involved with Hollywood stars and producing Wrestlemania. The question here is; HOW did the WWE manage
to become a global phenomena? The answer is quite simple: Vince McMahon and his genius marketing/promoting. Vince McMahon is without a doubt, a genius. Whether you are a die-hard TNA fan
or WWE fan, we all have to agree on that fact. What did Vince McMahon do to get his promotion to the top and what new elements can be added to those methods? The WWE was not afraid to spend money for the right reward. But to do this, the trade-off has to be understood. If you don't understand the trade-off, you will likely not make the trade. In this case I am talking about trading money for a reward that will benefit your company in a big way. You don't always have to recieve a monetary trade. A lot can be learned
from WWE Wrestlemania 24 in the Citrus Bowl Stadium, Orlando, FLorida. The company spent A LOT
of money dressing up that arena, which is otherwise not a Wrestlemania type of venue. Guess what?
Although the exact numbers are not known, many WWE officials believe WWE ended up losing money
after all of the production that went into dressing up this arena to make it look great.
As an official once said, Vince might have ended up losing money with this Wrestlemania, but he and WWE
created magic for all of those fans and the people that know how the arena looks like without the
WWE's production. It is not always about making money. Sometimes you have to break even or even lose
some money when the trade-off is worth it. WWE Wrestlemania has aquired Super Bowl status
because of what they bring along with Wrestlemania to each city where it takes place.
How can this mentality and understanding of "trade-off" benefit TNA?
The Trade-Off
"TNA will now own footage of big names like Sting and Jeff Hardy and Mick Foley."
Over the years, TNA has spent money hiring talents that were big or somewhat big in other companies.
You can go back all the way to guys like The Sandman, Raven, DDP, Sting, Rhino, Christian Cage,
Jeff Hardy. Yes, those talents, those trade-offs are worth it. They bring their fanbase to your product.
But what happens when the fanbase of those talents don't know where those talents are?
Many times we have heard guys like Jeff Hardy, Mick Foley, Kevin Nash, Ric Flair talking about fans that ask them "when are you coming back to wrestling?" When in fact, they have been in TNA all along.
In those situations, what has TNA gained? If you hire a talent to gain more fans and recognition, yet
most of those fans don't know where those wrestlers have gone, what exactly is the trade-off?
What does TNA receive for paying these big names big money? The trade-off TNA recieves is,
the fans that DO know those big names have gone to TNA . The trade-off is some of those same fans
might even tune-in and become a TNA fan. The trade-off is that those names become a part of TNA,
even after they leave. TNA will now own footage of big names like Sting and Jeff Hardy and Mick Foley.
You can hire some well known talents from the competition for the trade-off of money, of course, but you can also hire the big talents who could have BECOME big talents on the opposite brand and make them big for your own brand and this is something TNA has done well over the years. Some would argue
TNA HAS to build their own big names, and that is correct, but the building of a companie's own big names, does not work on its own and any smart pro wrestling executive can tell you that a compnay can very well build their own big names such as TNA has with AJ Styles and Bobby Roode among others, but the fact is you need the big names from elsewhere to provide a good balance.
When Vince McMahon, jr. took over the WWF, he "broke the rules" of back then, and began to take the
big stars from where else, than the competition; from the AWA, NWA and all of the territories.
Why start-off with a bunch of unknown talent, when you can have wrestlers that are already big names?
Vince McMahon knew that aquiring wrestlers that were already big names, was much easier than to only build his own big names, which takes trial and error and lots of time. This has been one of the moves
many people have criticized about TNA, yet every promotion in the world does the same thing. Why?
Because it works. WWF took guys from AWA, WCW, ECW. WCW took guys from WWF and ECW.
ECW, with the least money, took the big names that were not under contract. AAA, the biggest
pro wrestling company in Mexico, takes guys from CMLL. It's a system that works. It's not a system
to rely on, but it is something that helps.
So if TNA has done this strategy just like other companies, why are their US ratings the same?
Why are their house shows and PPVs still around the same numbers?
MARKETING/PROMOTING
We fall back to marketing. Vince McMahon and the WWF might have already been a big company
a long time ago, but it was the genius marketing of Vince McMahon that has taken WWE to be the
huge company and entity that it is today. Having IMPACT WRESTLING TV on the road is not truly about getting out of the IMPACTzone. The IMPACTzone has become part of wrestling history.
The true reason why TNA's TV show has to go on the road, whether it be live or not, whether it has to tone down a bit of visual production glamour or not, is marketing. New venues bring fresh eyes and reactions
to the show and make the show look much better on TV. Loud fans in new venues, who have
always wanted to see their favorite stars and will finally get to see them, translate that emotion to the viewers
at home and make the product seem bigger. When people at home see and hear thousands of fans
cheering for one of the talents, it makes that talent seem larger than life. It makes that talent, that wrestler,
seem like he or she is on top of the world, it makes that talent into a celebrity, and when you have
that talent on your show, your show is elevated. The more of these celebrity talents you have on your show,
the better your show looks and in turn, your company will grow. The fans of those celebrity-like talents
will start coming to your house shows. Those fans will start buying PPVs like they buy tickets
to watch their favorite stars in a movie. Even though it may seem like people (and a few do) watch your show, whether it be WWE or TNA, because it is WWE or TNA, that is not the case. The people, the fans watch these shows because of their favorite superstars. It is not a coincidence that big names in wrestling were started to be referred to as "Superstars" a long time ago just like the Hollywood Superstars.
This brings me to the UK. When IMPACT WRESTLING aired from the Wembley Arena in
United Kingdom, it was like magic. A huge arena filled wilh thousands and thousands of fans,
were cheering for some of my favorite wrestlers. That is the best marketing a wrestling show
can ever get. Larger than life talents are what makes a brand grow.
But in comes a fair question: why is TNA so popular in the UK? How can a company that
beats TNA in ratings in the US almost by 3 times over, be crushed by TNA in the UK?
UK wrestling fans like the attitude in TNA's product. They like the hard-hitting in your face style.
US likes big time celebrities. WWE stars have that feel.
The trick here, is to combine those two elements and that can only be achieved, by making
the right trade-off and that trade-off is spending the money to take IMPACT WRESTLING
TV on the road. Letting those fans who have always wanted to see their favorite stars
see them for the first time and interact with them for the first time and making those talents
celebrities within your brand. THAT, is when bringing in Hollywood celebrities means
the most. That is when the trade-off of money for celebs pays off. When your very own
celeberities, your talent, can interact with the more popular celebrities that are on everyday
television. People know who Hollywood celebrities are whether they like them or not.
When you create your very own celebrities by creating that atmosphere along with fans,
your product will become your very own Hollywood full of Superstars.
Fallow on Twitter @iNNCwrestling
"WWE had practically no real entrance stage"
Many non and TNA fans, talent from either company and even current and past TNA executives have ideas on how TNA can grow to one day be as or nearly as big as WWE.
But what is the real way to get, to quote Hulk Hogan, "TNA to the next level"?
The number one idea or advise or move that most will agree on, is to take IMPACT WRESTLING
on the road. We're not talking about house shows of course. We are talking about IMPACT WRESTLING, the TV show.
Now what is the difference of taking the TV show on the road compared to the house shows?
If TNA IMPACT WRESTLING house shows draw anywhere from 300-500 fans (WWE draws thousands) why would IMPACT WRESTLING TV shows be any better on the road?
TV shows have fallow up. They have more to them such as big angles, title matches, and all of the big stars and production. Of course, the number one issue with this is idea is money. It costs a lot of money to take a TV show on the road, especially a live one. But as Hogan has stated before, you spend money
to make money. The fact is, TNA fans and Universal Orlando tourists, go into IMPACT WRESTLING without paying anything to TNA. Does IMPACT have to be live every week on the road? No. Do they need as big of a production as they have in the IMPACTzone? No. For years WWE had practically no real entrance stage. Even the first Wrestlemania entrance "stages" were a simple decoration around the built-in arenas' entrance. Sure, the nice stages look great and provide extra room for the talent to perform,
but you can take a look back at old WWE shows, and any other show like AWA for that matter, and those issues can be worked around and you end up forgetting about stages and titantrons.
With the idea of needing to take IMPACT TV on the road established, I'll move on to the next move.
MARKETING/PROMOTING
"Vince McMahon and his genius marketing/promoting"
WWE Wrestlemania 24
Surely we all know the WWE was a big company before they began to invite or get involved with Hollywood stars and producing Wrestlemania. The question here is; HOW did the WWE manage
to become a global phenomena? The answer is quite simple: Vince McMahon and his genius marketing/promoting. Vince McMahon is without a doubt, a genius. Whether you are a die-hard TNA fan
or WWE fan, we all have to agree on that fact. What did Vince McMahon do to get his promotion to the top and what new elements can be added to those methods? The WWE was not afraid to spend money for the right reward. But to do this, the trade-off has to be understood. If you don't understand the trade-off, you will likely not make the trade. In this case I am talking about trading money for a reward that will benefit your company in a big way. You don't always have to recieve a monetary trade. A lot can be learned
from WWE Wrestlemania 24 in the Citrus Bowl Stadium, Orlando, FLorida. The company spent A LOT
of money dressing up that arena, which is otherwise not a Wrestlemania type of venue. Guess what?
Although the exact numbers are not known, many WWE officials believe WWE ended up losing money
after all of the production that went into dressing up this arena to make it look great.
As an official once said, Vince might have ended up losing money with this Wrestlemania, but he and WWE
created magic for all of those fans and the people that know how the arena looks like without the
WWE's production. It is not always about making money. Sometimes you have to break even or even lose
some money when the trade-off is worth it. WWE Wrestlemania has aquired Super Bowl status
because of what they bring along with Wrestlemania to each city where it takes place.
How can this mentality and understanding of "trade-off" benefit TNA?
The Trade-Off
"TNA will now own footage of big names like Sting and Jeff Hardy and Mick Foley."
Over the years, TNA has spent money hiring talents that were big or somewhat big in other companies.
You can go back all the way to guys like The Sandman, Raven, DDP, Sting, Rhino, Christian Cage,
Jeff Hardy. Yes, those talents, those trade-offs are worth it. They bring their fanbase to your product.
But what happens when the fanbase of those talents don't know where those talents are?
Many times we have heard guys like Jeff Hardy, Mick Foley, Kevin Nash, Ric Flair talking about fans that ask them "when are you coming back to wrestling?" When in fact, they have been in TNA all along.
In those situations, what has TNA gained? If you hire a talent to gain more fans and recognition, yet
most of those fans don't know where those wrestlers have gone, what exactly is the trade-off?
What does TNA receive for paying these big names big money? The trade-off TNA recieves is,
the fans that DO know those big names have gone to TNA . The trade-off is some of those same fans
might even tune-in and become a TNA fan. The trade-off is that those names become a part of TNA,
even after they leave. TNA will now own footage of big names like Sting and Jeff Hardy and Mick Foley.
You can hire some well known talents from the competition for the trade-off of money, of course, but you can also hire the big talents who could have BECOME big talents on the opposite brand and make them big for your own brand and this is something TNA has done well over the years. Some would argue
TNA HAS to build their own big names, and that is correct, but the building of a companie's own big names, does not work on its own and any smart pro wrestling executive can tell you that a compnay can very well build their own big names such as TNA has with AJ Styles and Bobby Roode among others, but the fact is you need the big names from elsewhere to provide a good balance.
When Vince McMahon, jr. took over the WWF, he "broke the rules" of back then, and began to take the
big stars from where else, than the competition; from the AWA, NWA and all of the territories.
Why start-off with a bunch of unknown talent, when you can have wrestlers that are already big names?
Vince McMahon knew that aquiring wrestlers that were already big names, was much easier than to only build his own big names, which takes trial and error and lots of time. This has been one of the moves
many people have criticized about TNA, yet every promotion in the world does the same thing. Why?
Because it works. WWF took guys from AWA, WCW, ECW. WCW took guys from WWF and ECW.
ECW, with the least money, took the big names that were not under contract. AAA, the biggest
pro wrestling company in Mexico, takes guys from CMLL. It's a system that works. It's not a system
to rely on, but it is something that helps.
So if TNA has done this strategy just like other companies, why are their US ratings the same?
Why are their house shows and PPVs still around the same numbers?
MARKETING/PROMOTING
We fall back to marketing. Vince McMahon and the WWF might have already been a big company
a long time ago, but it was the genius marketing of Vince McMahon that has taken WWE to be the
huge company and entity that it is today. Having IMPACT WRESTLING TV on the road is not truly about getting out of the IMPACTzone. The IMPACTzone has become part of wrestling history.
The true reason why TNA's TV show has to go on the road, whether it be live or not, whether it has to tone down a bit of visual production glamour or not, is marketing. New venues bring fresh eyes and reactions
to the show and make the show look much better on TV. Loud fans in new venues, who have
always wanted to see their favorite stars and will finally get to see them, translate that emotion to the viewers
at home and make the product seem bigger. When people at home see and hear thousands of fans
cheering for one of the talents, it makes that talent seem larger than life. It makes that talent, that wrestler,
seem like he or she is on top of the world, it makes that talent into a celebrity, and when you have
that talent on your show, your show is elevated. The more of these celebrity talents you have on your show,
the better your show looks and in turn, your company will grow. The fans of those celebrity-like talents
will start coming to your house shows. Those fans will start buying PPVs like they buy tickets
to watch their favorite stars in a movie. Even though it may seem like people (and a few do) watch your show, whether it be WWE or TNA, because it is WWE or TNA, that is not the case. The people, the fans watch these shows because of their favorite superstars. It is not a coincidence that big names in wrestling were started to be referred to as "Superstars" a long time ago just like the Hollywood Superstars.
This brings me to the UK. When IMPACT WRESTLING aired from the Wembley Arena in
United Kingdom, it was like magic. A huge arena filled wilh thousands and thousands of fans,
were cheering for some of my favorite wrestlers. That is the best marketing a wrestling show
can ever get. Larger than life talents are what makes a brand grow.
But in comes a fair question: why is TNA so popular in the UK? How can a company that
beats TNA in ratings in the US almost by 3 times over, be crushed by TNA in the UK?
UK wrestling fans like the attitude in TNA's product. They like the hard-hitting in your face style.
US likes big time celebrities. WWE stars have that feel.
The trick here, is to combine those two elements and that can only be achieved, by making
the right trade-off and that trade-off is spending the money to take IMPACT WRESTLING
TV on the road. Letting those fans who have always wanted to see their favorite stars
see them for the first time and interact with them for the first time and making those talents
celebrities within your brand. THAT, is when bringing in Hollywood celebrities means
the most. That is when the trade-off of money for celebs pays off. When your very own
celeberities, your talent, can interact with the more popular celebrities that are on everyday
television. People know who Hollywood celebrities are whether they like them or not.
When you create your very own celebrities by creating that atmosphere along with fans,
your product will become your very own Hollywood full of Superstars.
Fallow on Twitter @iNNCwrestling
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