Hulk Hogan Impacted TNA Ratings?
This is what Kevin Eck thinks about Hulk Hogan and his recent move to TNA.
The rating for the show was a 1.3, which equals its best-ever rating (although it was not a company record for most viewers). During the first four weeks of October, Impact did between a 0.9 and 1.1.
Impact also had its best showing among males 18-49 and males 18-34 since April.
That’s the good news, especially since the show was going head to head with the World Series between the New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies. However, when the ratings are broken down, the final segment, which showed clips of the news conference in which Hogan’s signing was announced – and had been hyped the entire show – was part of the lowest-rated quarter of the episode, according to prowrestling.net.
The drop in the final quarter hour notwithstanding, I think Hogan’s presence on the show – whether he’s actually in the Impact Zone or not – will continue to translate into ratings above Impact’s usual level.
Obviously, more eyeballs on the show is a good thing. The key to whether the partnership with Hogan ultimately helps the company grow, however, depends on the direction TNA goes in creatively now that they have more people watching.
If Impact becomes The Hulk Hogan Show at the expense of younger guys such as Matt Morgan and A.J. Styles, the Hogan deal will end up doing more harm than good. Hogan has the ability to give those guys a rub, but he also needs to know when it’s time to get out of their way and not try to overshadow them.
Did all the media attention surrounding the announcement of Hulk Hogan’s business arrangement with TNA make a difference in the ratings for this past Thursday’s episode of TNA Impact?
Yes and no.
I’m sure there will be lots more news concerning Hulk Hogan and TNA. I’ll keep you informed
