Jim Ross comenta sobre a situação da TNA e o que pode implicar na WWE

O WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross comentou no seu blog a situação entre a TNA e a Spike TV:

"TMZ reported Sunday night that they would be ending their relationship with TNA Impact when their current rights fee arrangement ends supposedly in October.

Obviously, this is a blow to TNA but they have a weekly audience of approximately 1M viewers which will interest some cable networks. The question is can TNA negotiate a deal that will financially keep them in business in today's entertainment world with this quick turnaround?

WWE got less of a rights fee from NBC/Universal to stay on the USA Network than many predicted so one could assume another cable entity might not be willing to pay top dollar for TNA with the current perception that broadcasters apparently have regarding the genre.

One would assume/hope TNA finds a new cable home and they move their fan base with them. If not, Viacom's Spike Network is in the same position TBS was in when Jim Crockett Promotions found themselves in financial duress. TBS bought out JCP and WCW aired on TBS & TNT for years. The question is does Viacom want to own a pro wrestling franchise to go with their newly acquired MMA franchise Bellator?

It will be interesting to see how all the involved parties spin this matter come Monday morning. If WWE's scheduled financial, conference call doesn't go well later this week especially as it relates to the number if subscribers currently paying for the WWE Network this will be one of the most news worthy and potentially negative weeks the business has experienced in years. Hopefully the week will end better than it's started.

As in any major development such as this, opportunistic entrepreneurs will circle their wagons to both fill the programming void at Spike and to potentially create national, cable TV competition for WWE.

I'm hoping the wrestling fans win at the end of the day and that there will be competition within the timeless genre that has apparently come to another crossroads that will necessitate change which might actually be a good thing."

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So, Sunday night TMZ reports that Spike TV isn't renewing their current TV rights fee arrangement with Impact Wrestling. I assume that to be true based on how TMZ presented the story but I'm on the outside (luckily) looking in. Today TNA/Impact says that negotiations are still on going with Spike while Spike says that they don't comment on "on going negotiations."

I knew the 'spin' on this matter would be prevalent once I heard the news Sunday night and whether or not this info is 'spin' or merely an update to settle things down, I don't know.

In the world of negotiations, Spike may simply be trying to pay a much lower rights fee to TNA than in the past and have made their position clear by saying that we are not renewing the deal at the current numbers.

Could Spike be thinking like TBS, Turner Broadcasting Systems, when Jim Crockett Promotions found themselves in financial trouble and TBS bought WCW and perhaps be looking to add a pro wrestling brand to their list of properties? Spike/Viacom recently bought out MMA company Bellator....which definitely needs a new name...BTW.

Those would be two fresh, first run programs that appeal to a primary male demo and that seems to be the Spike profile or so it seems to me based on their current programming more often than not.

Why would Spike want to get rid of one of the few shows on their network that garners over 1M viewers per week in prime time? That makes no sense to me but Spike negotiating to keep TNA at a lower dollar does.

Every once in a while many businesses have to hit the reset button and essentially start over with their infrastructure. Simply from what I hear it seems as if that is a timely thing to do for TNA and that process seemingly has already started. 'Crisis Management' was practiced daily by my department in WWE back in the day because we were always only a key injury, etc or two away from being in a dilemma.

Many of today's corporations are too fat and produce too much waste including having multiple people seemingly doing the same tasks. WWE has stated that they are reducing their overhead in a significant way much like we did in the mid 90's and that down sizing seemed to work out well for WWE over time.

Even though the news of TNA 'leaving' Spike is startling to many, especially those that take care of their families via the monies that they earn from TNA, I have a gut feeling that this is a matter that is still in play and that there well could be other cable networks who will have an interest in a TV show that 's first run and can bring a solid audience with them if they change networks.

The key to that last sentence is IF Impact changes networks."