TNA makes drastic changes to PPV model

[Warner2BruceTD]

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.

NEW TNA PPV PRICING PLAN IS...

The newly announced TNA Friday night PPVs will be priced at $14.95.

TNA Genesis and TNA Lockdown will still be priced at $34.95.

TNA Slammiversary and all live PPVs that follow will now be priced at $39.95.

TNA Bound for Glory will be the exception to that rule, since it always had a higher price point, and will now be priced at $44.95.

The TNA Unfinished Business PPV pricing will remain the same.

People are ripping this, but I think it's a good idea.

Nobody is buying TNA PPV's. Some come in at under 10,000 buys, which is amazing when you consider two million people watch the TV every week. So why not try something new? Monthly live PPV's were obviously not working.

This allows the company to focus on their "Big 4", and I think the plan is to increase interest in those events, to make up for the drop in revenue from the other seven.

The seven taped shows will all have gimmicky themes, and I think they will do better than people think. For example, I would consider dropping $15 on an X-Division night or one night tag team tournament.

The core issue with TNA will always be the execution. Creatively, can they make the Big 4 feel special enough? That's the key here. If the Big 4 stay at the 10,000 buy level, they are costing themselves a lot of money here.

[SuperKevin]

I would spend 15 dollars easily for a 3 hour X Division show

[LiquidLarry2GhostWF]

Bad move getting rid of Destination X as one of their "Big 4". It has been their best PPV the past few years.

TNA just needs to deliver on their PPVs. They need to have them in different venues to make them feel special...the Impact Zone does nothing for them for PPVs...it actually hurts.

I like the idea of gimmick PPVs though...but they should be live. Why do I want to pay for something that is taped? I already know the results. At that point, I'll see what the buzz is and download if need be.

I do think this is a great idea though...their model was not working...the current PPV model really isn't working for the WWE, either, outside of WrestleMania and a few select PPVs every year.

So, I like the idea of trying to change it up. I like the idea of gimmick PPVs. I like lower price points.

But still, its all about execution.

Reminds me a bit of when the WWE changed it up with their PPV format with the In Your House series. A lot of those were gimmicky in nature...at least with the corny tag lines and set pieces.

[SuperKevin]

As long as these shows are fairly self contained I have no issue with it. Make them fun side products outside of your regular TV storylines. With that said, no title matches please. I hate these pretaped title matches where everyone knows the result.

[Warner2BruceTD]

I think the idea behind taping them is that they can bang out a few in one night and cut production costs, thus balancing out the loses a bit on the lower price point. For example, they are taping the "Joker's Wild" & X-division thing tomorrow night in one shot.

Honestly I don't think the buys will drop all that dramatically for the taped shows. Some people who won't buy taped shows no matter what will drop off, but the price point will draw others. $35, $40 is a lot of money to spend on wrestling. $15 isn't. And the starting point is like 8,000 buys in some cases. These people are fiercely loyal hardcores who aren't going anywhere.

This all comes down to the Big 4 and if they can build them better than they have before. The other shows weren't making any money anyway. Fuck it. Status qua was getting them nowhere.

[BigBiss]

"The traditional pay-per-view wrestling model needed to evolve"

any one find this line funny seeing as they are going back to how WWE use to do things

[Warner2BruceTD]

"The traditional pay-per-view wrestling model needed to evolve"

any one find this line funny seeing as they are going back to how WWE use to do things

"The traditional pay-per-view wrestling model needed to evolve"

I'm still waiting for the Aces & Eights angle to evolve.

[BigBiss]

there waiting for the next season of sons of anarchy

[LiquidLarry2GhostWF]

As long as these shows are fairly self contained I have no issue with it. Make them fun side products outside of your regular TV storylines. With that said, no title matches please. I hate these pretaped title matches where everyone knows the result.

TV Title and X-Division title matches...and Tag Titles are what should defended. Not the big belt.

[LiquidLarry2GhostWF]

I think the idea behind taping them is that they can bang out a few in one night and cut production costs, thus balancing out the loses a bit on the lower price point. For example, they are taping the "Joker's Wild" & X-division thing tomorrow night in one shot.

Honestly I don't think the buys will drop all that dramatically for the taped shows. Some people who won't buy taped shows no matter what will drop off, but the price point will draw others. $35, $40 is a lot of money to spend on wrestling. $15 isn't. And the starting point is like 8,000 buys in some cases. These people are fiercely loyal hardcores who aren't going anywhere.

This all comes down to the Big 4 and if they can build them better than they have before. The other shows weren't making any money anyway. Fuck it. Status qua was getting them nowhere.

IMO, they need to really have big cards AND DELIVER with Bound for Glory. They've never really had a BFG that felt like it was the biggest show of the year.

[Warner2BruceTD]

IMO, they need to really have big cards AND DELIVER with Bound for Glory. They've never really had a BFG that felt like it was the biggest show of the year.

Yeah, that's my point too. BFG is just another show, no matter how much they charge for it or how much louder Tenay yells about it. It's the same 900 mouth breathers in the same building we stare at on TV every week, with matches that are never particularly special or memorable.

Nothing wrong with this plan. Skeptical about the execution.

[Warner2BruceTD]

WWE PPV up from 2011
UFC PPV up from 2011
HBO Boxing PPV up from 2011
TNA PPV down from 2011

"The traditional PPV model needs to evolve"

[Warner2BruceTD]

If TNA really wants to think outside the box, they should stream all 11 of these shows from their website and/or Roku channel for $20.

If you want to get ahead of the curve, get ahead of the curve.

[JimLeavy59]

I like the new model.

[Warner2BruceTD]

PWInsider.com have revealed through multiple sources the themes for the taped TNA "One Night Only" events which will air on the first Friday night of each month throughout 2013 when the company is not airing one of the four LIVE pay-per-view event (more here). The seven events will cost $14.95.


- TNA X-Travaganza, featuring the stars of the X-Division (airing in April, taping 1/13).

- TNA Joker's Wild Tag Team Special, featuring enemies teaming and a Battle Royal final (airing in May, taping 1/13)

- TNA Hardcore Justice 2 - ECW reunion style "hardcore" show featuring hardcore stipulation matches bringing in ECW talents.

- TNA "10 Reunion" - Stars from the early days of TNA battling inside a Six-Sided ring.

- TNA Knockouts Knockdown - One night Knockout tournament with the first round being all stipulation matches and the final four in a "test of their stamina" to see who the final victor is.

- TNA International Incident - One night tournament featuring talent from " United States, India, Mexico, Ireland, Canada, Germany, Japan & the UK" with the winner earning a TNA title shot.

- TNA X-Division World Cup Tournament - four teams of X-Division wrestlers in a one night tournament featuring singles, tag, six man and eight man tag bouts.

- TNA World Cup of Wrestling - Four teams, each captained by a TNA wrestler featuring a Heavyweight wrestler, a tag team and an X-Division wrestler battling in singles, tag and stipulation bouts. The finale will be a "two ring, triple chance Battle Royal."

HOLY SHIT these look AWESOME.

No bullshit, I would pay for every single one of these, with the exception of the Knockouts.