A report that Spike TV is interested in landing WWE Smackdown to run as a lead-in on Friday nights to its Bellator MMA series could be bad news for TNA.
WWE would not seem likely to be interested in being on a network that airs its main competitor for TV wrestling fans. Spike currently runs TNA’s Impact show on Thursday nights.
And Spike, if forced to choose, would seem likely to go in the direction of WWE and Smackdown, which drew 2.85 million viewers last week, more than double the 1.354 million viewers who tuned in last week to Impact.
It’s hard to imagine TNA landing another basic-cable gig if Spike were to drop Impact. The ratings just aren’t there to justify taking a flyer on Impact, and the continued fiscal uncertainty in the TNA office wouldn’t go far to inspire confidence in TV execs who might be willing to take a chance.
With WWE’s TV deals coming up this year, expect something to happen. For now, it’s all conjecture, but these have to be nervous days in Nashville.
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Chris Graham
