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Title: Dissecting Bound For Glory
Date: 10/07/11
Author: Jerry Garcia

Part 5: Marketing
If someone would have asked me the best avenues through which to release a wrestling PPV, I would have gone with internet, PPV channels, and sports bars with a cover charge. Now that the internet has pretty much dominated the landscape of shopping, information gathering, and even entertainment, I may have pushed that option over the rest. TNA's use of movie theaters is thinking outside the box. By even offering a free t- shirt to each fan attending, TNA has gone above and beyond what WWE is doing. While Vince and company are in a deadlock, trying to find a way to compete against Monday Night Football, Dixie and her band are looking to improve on the PPV side.

The ratings are solid, tracking between 1.2 to 1.7, which is pretty good, all things being equal and for such a young company, I don't think they could ask for such numbers otherwise. Now Vince would be thrown into wild and enthusiastic depression if he had the same numbers, but his baby have seen consistent 4.0's and even higher during the Attitude Era, but they've been rendered to where they consider it a good week with 2.7, which is what they've been trending for the past month.

But enough about ratings. In "The Monday Night War", Mick Foley made the assertion that WWE had been the better show for almost a year before it showed up in the ratings. Ratings are a very moody thing as channel surfers the country across often don't change the routine on their weekday viewing choices. That makes the number TNA is doing that much more important. SO....TNA's main event, Bobby Roode vs. Kurt Angle is what TNA is trying to put the majority of focus on. The reason? A couple of weeks ago, some heavy editing was done on the Ric Flair match with Sting, as mistakes had to be covered thoroughly. It was the feeling coming from the backstage area that changed the views of the upper brass, who wanted to put Sting/Hogan in the limelight. Now, a TNA original gets the press, putting the writing staff into overdrive to promote that feud as the driving force going into the event.

If WWE were to put their PPVs into theaters as TNA has done, people who might have otherwise have simply missed it would have the opportunity to see said PPV at a discounted price, but also perk up the buyrates back the where they are used to having them. It'll be interesting to see if TNA continues this trend, but I, for one, am behind the idea all the way.

You can check out new blogs every day as well as parts 1-4 of this blog on Jerrys own website; Tag Teams, Knockouts and Wrestling... at http://Tnaenforcer.Blogspot.Com/
- Jerry Garcia
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