How Much Bigger (Smaller?) is Peak AEW Compared to Peak TNA?

[KAMALARAMBO: BOOMSHAKALAKA!!!]

Talking strictly in terms of size and reach. I don’t think AEW has ever reached TNA’s highest TV viewership, but it’s not really a fair comparison since everything gets less viewers now than when TNA was at its peak.

["Evil Brood" Jackson Vanik]

AEW is a significantly bigger company in terms of cable rankings, PPV buys, live gates, etc.

[Cyno]

AEW is bigger than Peak TNA in pretty much every category except P2+ viewership (and maybe 18-49 demo). But then that's not a fair comparison because cable ratings in 2023 are much smaller in general compared to the 00's and early 10's. To put things in perspective: TNA Impact was doing in the low 1's when Raw was regularly getting at least 3+ and often going into the 4 range.

I do think AEW's debut Dynamite and CM Punk Rampage did similar or outright better than Impact's best rated shows in spite of that situation, though. Otherwise, it isn't even a fair comparison. AEW's way ahead in terms of PPV buy rates, gate, merch sales, etc.

[raymondo316]

TNA used to get good TV ratings, but they never could get those people to actually spend money on PPV's or attending shows like AEW can.

Just to put things into perspective their highest attended show in the states was, 7200 for Lockdown 2013 at the Alamodome.

[Zombie Mod]

you cant really compare the two companies.

tna started off with weekly ppv shows, aew started off with a weekly tv show.

early tna had a lot of post attitude era car crash style booking, aew set out to let the wrestling do the attention grabbing as the wrestling world had moved on from that style of booking.

aew so far has remained relatively controversy free (despite the muffin man's attempts.), tna lurched from controversy to controversy for a good chunk of its existence.

Tony Khan has done a lot to avoid becoming an onscreen personality, tna's owners were on their show frequently with one hoping it would lead to them getting their own show.

[XIII]

AEW is on Turner Broadcasting, gets good ratings, and gets mostly good reviews. This isn’t even close. Even at TNA’s peak they never had any level of consistency.

[kidkamikaze10]

If TNA was anywhere near AEW’s level, they would have made that clear as day. Because either Jarrett, Dixie, or Hogan/Bischoff would have milked that cow dry.

Nevermind guys like Russo or Bully Ray.

West (RIP) and Tenay would have been calling TNA everything but the second coming of Christ.

[Bo Rida]

Jun 11, 2023 14:50:23 GMT -5 raymondo316 said:

TNA used to get good TV ratings, but they never could get those people to actually spend money on PPV's or attending shows like AEW can.

Just to put things into perspective their highest attended show in the states was, 7200 for Lockdown 2013 at the Alamodome.

Aew beat that attendence record with their own show.
TNA did well in the UK drawing about 8k fans (NJPW's last shows were closer to 2K). Aew have already sold 65K.
Plus it's a company other businesses can take seriously. Even the name helps.

[Final Countdown Jones]

AEW has been cited in legal documents as viable competition by WWE lawyers before and that already is all of the recognition TNA desperately, hopelessly craved and never got.

[Xxcjb01xX [PIECE OF: SH-]]

AEW is way closer to WCW (And about to outdraw their biggest event ever that wasn't the entire nation of North Korea held hostage) in terms of comparison sakes for a company at its peak. Obviously TV ratings won't ever compare but it's an entirely different cable landscape than it was back then, but in terms of like... a company adjacent to WWE? It's the most viable one since WCW, and has proven to be much better run than WCW was even when it was near its peak.

[Cyno]

Jun 11, 2023 16:40:21 GMT -5 Final Countdown Jones said:

AEW has been cited in legal documents as viable competition by WWE lawyers before and that already is all of the recognition TNA desperately, hopelessly craved and never got

Those TNA billboards sorta kinda near Titan Towers in Stamford were some big "Notice me senpai!" energy.

[KME]

People have covered the biggest points tbh, no comparison for me, AEW is the bigger company of the two at their peak.

I really liked TNA for a while, the X Division stuff, lots of fresh talent, high quality matches and their commitment to the show never being boring was great, but it always felt a bit small time, held in front of small crowds at the Impact Zone with low production value. I couldn't imagine them for a second doing a show at Wembley for example and even if they could have done...they didn't. Think their biggest attendance was under 10,000 while AEW's was (before Wembley) over 20,000. Don't recall TNA ever being close to getting a second two hour show either, regardless of how Collision pans out. AEW just always feels like something WWE take more seriously too while TNA's attempts to engage with them like the AT THA ALAMO stuff and the disaster that was their attempt at a Monday Night War really undermined them

Generally I always hear people say they're glad we finally got a legit competitor for the first time since WCW closed, as opposed to for the first time since TNA fell off a cliff.

[Lizuka #BLM]

TNA was hurt tremendously by the fact they never really knew how to advertise or to play to their strengths. They could draw viewers and they could put on things people enjoyed but they never knew how to actually attract new viewers beyond one-off stunts that saw diminishing returns or how to make a good show that was satisfying to follow where the best parts of it were prominently spotlighted.

If they knew how to better keep new viewers and how to monetize the ones they had through getting them to buy tickets, merch, and PPVs, they'd have been a much healthier company because they had the pieces to be a success.

["Gizzark" Mike Wronglevenay]

TNA are ahead in viewership only and all TV had higher ratings in those days. WWE would kill for the ratings that partly got WCW cancelled in 2001

AEW have had bigger houses from moment one and their PPVs all sold double or more than TNA's biggest ever show

[stoptheclocks]

Shahid Khan has probably spent more on birthday parties than the net worth of the Jarrett or Carter family. AEW are operating in a totally different league financially.

WCW is the more realistic comparison.

[A Platypus Rave]

Jun 11, 2023 19:10:55 GMT -5 Lizuka #BLM said:

TNA was hurt tremendously by the fact they never really knew how to advertise or to play to their strengths. They could draw viewers and they could put on things people enjoyed but they never knew how to actually attract new viewers beyond one-off stunts that saw diminishing returns or how to make a good show that was satisfying to follow where the best parts of it were prominently spotlighted.

If they knew how to better keep new viewers and how to monetize the ones they had through getting them to buy tickets, merch, and PPVs, they'd have been a much healthier company because they had the pieces to be a success.

They also loved shooting themselves in the foot.

buying meaningless billboards in stamford... having an unopposed specail where they outright state anyone that watches any other wrestling show is an idiot... (seriously why would you try to get the casual views of wrestling fans that know Raw was prempted... stumbling onto your show and immediately being turned off by being openly insulted...)

[Jedi-El of Tomorrow]

Jun 11, 2023 14:50:23 GMT -5 raymondo316 said:

TNA used to get good TV ratings, but they never could get those people to actually spend money on PPV's or attending shows like AEW can.

Just to put things into perspective their highest attended show in the states was, 7200 for Lockdown 2013 at the Alamodome.

I'm pretty sure that TNA's ppv buy record was for Lockdown 2008 and that was 55,000 to 60,000 buys. People just didn't want to spend money to watch TNA. The lowest buyrate in WWE history (before the Network came along) was December to Dismember at over 90,000 buys.

Jun 11, 2023 19:10:55 GMT -5 Lizuka #BLM said:

TNA was hurt tremendously by the fact they never really knew how to advertise or to play to their strengths. They could draw viewers and they could put on things people enjoyed but they never knew how to actually attract new viewers beyond one-off stunts that saw diminishing returns or how to make a good show that was satisfying to follow where the best parts of it were prominently spotlighted.

If they knew how to better keep new viewers and how to monetize the ones they had through getting them to buy tickets, merch, and PPVs, they'd have been a much healthier company because they had the pieces to be a success.

TNA had 2 shows within a couple of hours of where I live. The first show I only heard about a couple of days before it, and the second show I didn't know about it till after it happened. I only knew about it because I was in that town's Target, wearing a wrestling shirt and the cashier mentioned that TNA had a show there the other day, and he didn't hear about it till about 3 days before the show. Meanwhile, WWE has a show in Wichita or Topeka and they're advertising it for a couple of months in advance. They're buying air time for the commercials for those shows to be seen in all of Kansas. They're getting the wrestlers on local big channels to hype the show.

Why the f*** TNA was so adverse to copying WWE when it comes to advertising is beyond me. People aren't gonna go to a show if they don't know about it.

[A Platypus Rave]

Jun 12, 2023 3:19:18 GMT -5 Jedi-El of Tomorrow said:

Jun 11, 2023 14:50:23 GMT -5 raymondo316 said:

TNA used to get good TV ratings, but they never could get those people to actually spend money on PPV's or attending shows like AEW can.

Just to put things into perspective their highest attended show in the states was, 7200 for Lockdown 2013 at the Alamodome.

I'm pretty sure that TNA's ppv buy record was for Lockdown 2008 and that was 55,000 to 60,000 buys. People just didn't want to spend money to watch TNA. The lowest buyrate in WWE history (before the Network came along) was December to Dismember at over 90,000 buys.

Jun 11, 2023 19:10:55 GMT -5 Lizuka #BLM said:

TNA was hurt tremendously by the fact they never really knew how to advertise or to play to their strengths. They could draw viewers and they could put on things people enjoyed but they never knew how to actually attract new viewers beyond one-off stunts that saw diminishing returns or how to make a good show that was satisfying to follow where the best parts of it were prominently spotlighted.

If they knew how to better keep new viewers and how to monetize the ones they had through getting them to buy tickets, merch, and PPVs, they'd have been a much healthier company because they had the pieces to be a success.

TNA had 2 shows within a couple of hours of where I live. The first show I only heard about a couple of days before it, and the second show I didn't know about it till after it happened. I only knew about it because I was in that town's Target, wearing a wrestling shirt and the cashier mentioned that TNA had a show there the other day, and he didn't hear about it till about 3 days before the show. Meanwhile, WWE has a show in Wichita or Topeka and they're advertising it for a couple of months in advance. They're buying air time for the commercials for those shows to be seen in all of Kansas. They're getting the wrestlers on local big channels to hype the show.

Why the f*** TNA was so adverse to copying WWE when it comes to advertising is beyond me. People aren't gonna go to a show if they don't know about it.

Daniels and Styles once talked about times they checked into a Hotel across the street from a venue and the person working there (Who recognized them) were wondering why they were in town...

[stoptheclocks]

Jun 12, 2023 3:19:18 GMT -5 Jedi-El of Tomorrow said:

Jun 11, 2023 14:50:23 GMT -5 raymondo316 said:

TNA used to get good TV ratings, but they never could get those people to actually spend money on PPV's or attending shows like AEW can.

Just to put things into perspective their highest attended show in the states was, 7200 for Lockdown 2013 at the Alamodome.

I'm pretty sure that TNA's ppv buy record was for Lockdown 2008 and that was 55,000 to 60,000 buys. People just didn't want to spend money to watch TNA. The lowest buyrate in WWE history (before the Network came along) was December to Dismember at over 90,000 buys.

Jun 11, 2023 19:10:55 GMT -5 Lizuka #BLM said:

TNA was hurt tremendously by the fact they never really knew how to advertise or to play to their strengths. They could draw viewers and they could put on things people enjoyed but they never knew how to actually attract new viewers beyond one-off stunts that saw diminishing returns or how to make a good show that was satisfying to follow where the best parts of it were prominently spotlighted.

If they knew how to better keep new viewers and how to monetize the ones they had through getting them to buy tickets, merch, and PPVs, they'd have been a much healthier company because they had the pieces to be a success.

TNA had 2 shows within a couple of hours of where I live. The first show I only heard about a couple of days before it, and the second show I didn't know about it till after it happened. I only knew about it because I was in that town's Target, wearing a wrestling shirt and the cashier mentioned that TNA had a show there the other day, and he didn't hear about it till about 3 days before the show. Meanwhile, WWE has a show in Wichita or Topeka and they're advertising it for a couple of months in advance. They're buying air time for the commercials for those shows to be seen in all of Kansas. They're getting the wrestlers on local big channels to hype the show.

Why the f*** TNA was so adverse to copying WWE when it comes to advertising is beyond me. People aren't gonna go to a show if they don't know about it.

Realistically, that was because they couldn't afford to.

[Mozenrath]

Literally every PPV AEW has done has outperformed Samoa Joe vs Kurt Angle, TNA's peak PPV sales, with most of their PPVs far less profitable. TNA's top PPV sold for around 60,000+ buys, with Kurt Angle's TNA debut match. Double or Nothing 2023 would, at worst, be over twice as many sales as that, and it's potentially even high-selling than that.