AS I SEE IT
Bob Magee
Pro Wrestling: Between the Sheets
PWBTS.com
As if on cue after the 2007 AS I SEE IT Awards...a missive from TNAroll Kelly Douglas (and yes, the e-mail address is listed for everyone's edification):
Date: Tue, 8 Jan 2008 15:02:17 -0800
From: starpower80@yahoo.com
Subject: YOU SUCK! TNA RULES! MAGEE is a DISGRACE! and a jerk & a bum & ignorant & dumb & a coward
To: bobmagee1@hotmail.com
You always complain about TNA you stupin idiot. You fear TNA and their fans. You suck, Magee! Your columns are dull. WWE/ECW can't keep up with TNA.
Impact is better than Smack Down and ECW. Raw is the only show Vince cares about. You don't know what you're talking about anyway. Moron. WWE sucks. TNA rules.
STUPIN idiot?
At least I can s-p-e-l-l.
By the way, anything think Kelly Douglas also believes Chris Harris is "stupin" for leaving TNA for WWE this week?
I FEAR TNA and its fans?
Sweet Jesus, does this idiot have chlorine in his gene pool?
WWE sucks. TNA rules
WWE sucks so much that their PPV buys range from 2.57 times to 34 times the size of TNA's in direct month-to-month comparison, according to statistics published by TV.com, in a list covering the period from November 2006-November 2007.
Before I get a hundred angry e-mails from TNA staff or fans, claiming those statistics are "made up" by "TNA-hating" me, or by a "kiddie newz site", TV.com is owned by CNET Networks, Inc, which also owns (among other sites) technology website ZDnet.com, business site BNet.com, Gamespot, MP3.com and CNet.
It should be noted for the record that WWE posts official PPV estimate and final numbers as a publicly held company. WWE's numbers are easy to find in WWE Quarterly Reports, Conference Calls and through other public sources.
TNA continues to refuse to publish either buyrates and actual buys, hiding behind the explanation of being a privately held company.
Since they won't publish these numbers, websites within the PPV industry and television industry such as TV.com do it for them. Take a look at the numbers below and you'll understand the real reason TNA refuses to publish them officially:
November 2006
Genesis - 60,000
Cyber Sunday - 228,000 - PPV buys are 3.8 times Genesis
Survivor Series - 395,000 - PPV buys are 6.58 times Genesis
December 2006
Turning Point - 35,000
December to Dismember - 90,000 - 2.57 times the buys of Turning Point
A note: this was the worst buyrate for a WWE PPV in years, and caused the PPV to be discontinued in 2007, yet it still nearly tripled the buyrate of TNA's PPV that month and was 1.5 times that of TNA's best buyrate, TNA Genesis.
Armageddon - 239,000 - PPV buys are 6.82 times as much as Turning Point
January 2007
Final Resolution - 34,000
New Year's Revolution - 220,000 - PPV buys are6.47 times the buys of Final Resolution
Royal Rumble - 500,000 - PPV buys are 14.70 times the buys of Final Resolution
February 2007
Against All Odds - 23,000
No Way Out - 218,000 - PPV buys are 9.47 times as much as Against All Odds
March 2007
Destination X - 36,000
April 2007
Lockdown - 35,000
Wrestlemania - 1,188,000 - PPV buys are 34 times the buys of Lockdown
Backlash - 194,000 - PPV buys are 5.5 times the buys of Lockdown
May 2007
Sacrifice - 21,000
Judgement Day - 242,000 - PPV buys are11.5 times the buys of Sacrifice
June 2007
Slammiversary - 22,000
One Night Stand - 186,000- PPV buys are 11.5 times the buys of Lockdown
Vengeance - 243,000- PPV buys are 11.5 times the buys of Lockdown
July 2007
Victory Road - 15,000
Great American Bash - 229,000- PPV buys are 15.2 times the buys of Lockdown
August 2007
Hard Justice - 26,000
Summerslam - 558,000- PPV buys are 21.4 times the buys of Hard Justice
September 2007
No Surrender - 17,000
Unforgiven - 210,000- PPV buys are 11.5 times the buys of No Surrender
October 2007
Bound for Glory - 36,000
No Mercy - 270,000- PPV buys are 7.5 times the buys of Bound for Glory
Cyber Sunday - 195,000- PPV buys are 5.4 times the buys of Bound for Glory
November 2007
Genesis - 27,000
Survivor Series - 340,000- PPV buys are 12.5 times the buys of Genesis
No matter how many angry e-mails I get, the numbers don't lie. These numbers have got to be an embarassment to a company that professes itself to be a competitor to WWE.
That's OK, though. As we've seen, TNA staff deals with critics by going into "black helicopter paranoia" mode, or dismissing them as "being on the WWE payroll". Some time back, Dave Sahadi of TNA was reading aloud website reports on a TNA PPV, which were viewed as "ripping the show and calling it one of the worst ppvs ever". In the ensuing conversation, the TNA staff all agreed that these reports came from people on WWE payroll, and that the "Fire Russo" chants that came from the crowd during that PPV were nothing more than "smart marks trying to take over the show".
You know, it's been about a year now, and that damned mail carrier in suburban South Jersey is still pocketing my checks. I've got to remember to call up US Post Office security about that, or even call Gary Davis at WWE to get me on direct deposit. I could always use the money to go on my next vacation to San Diego or get that laptop I've always wanted.
TNA staff can delude themselves all they want. The fact that they aren't even remotely competitive (and we'd al lbe better served if they were), WWE speaks volumes about their lack of willingness to create a distinctive and competitive product...not to mention the fact that they continue to ignore rule one of business: listening to your customers.
Until next time...
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If you have comments/questions, or if you'd like to add the AS I SEE IT
column to your website, I can be reached by e-mail at bobmagee1@hotmail.com)