TNA Impact

Competition is a healthy thing, so maybe it’s about time WWE learnt that lesson. Ben Parfitt squeezes into purple lycra and gets the **** kicked out of him…

TNA, WWE, ECW, WCW – the world of three-letter wrestling acronyms is almost as intense as the actual battling that takes place in the ring. On the face of it, though, it’s the WWE (formerly WWF) that controls the lion’s share of the market.

The roots of TNA can be found in the acquisition of World Championship Wrestling and Extreme Championship Wrestling by the WWE in 2001. With no other competitor in the market, opportunities were spied and a new business model was formulated that revolved around American pay-per-view television.

Since beginning life in 2002, TNA toyed with a number of service options before finally landing a regular spot on Spike TV in the US and Bravo in the UK. And it was this move that finally saw its popularity begin to soar.

“Current TV research indicates that over a 37 week period of which we’re more than halfway through already TNA will overtake WWE in terms of viewing figures for its channel,” Midway’s senior European brand manager Aidan Minter tells MCV.

“The UK fanbase is growing and it was very evident to see from the tour in June how popular TNA is in the UK. On top of that Germany and Australia are just two of the other countries that are also growing the TNA fanbase among many others in Europe.”

TNA differs from its rivals not just by simply being an alternative. For starters, it employs a six-sided ring. In addition, one of its main selling points is its X Division, which showcases lighter weight fighters, often in the Lucha libre style, which began life in Latin America. This style emphasises quick moves, combinations and high-flying acrobatics.

All of these elements have been thrust to the forefront of the game, too. “Our biggest difference is the Ultimate X matches with the fighting taking place above the ring as well as inside it,” Minter adds. “The ability to offer wrestling fans fighting from suspended wires above the six sided ring was an essential part of the TNA experience we wanted to make sure it was in there.”

There is always the obvious question, though, of how TNA is going to compete in the video games market, which, much like the world of real wrestling, is currently bossed by a single figure in the genre.

“TNA actually fits in very well if you look at what the majority of the forums and WWE fans are saying about the state of the genre as it currently stands,” Minter confidently states.

“I think everyone who’s into wrestling as a sport, particularly in terms of its videogame roots, is eager to see new ideas and something a little different gracing the market. For many years people have become accustomed to just one franchise, year in, year out – if someone offers up a fresh new franchise which could rival that, such is the case with TNA, then I think that can only be a good thing. It certainly doesn’t worry me that there’s already WWE out there and I sleep very well at night knowing that we can bring something fresh to the wrestling genre.”

Backing this confidence is a turnbuckle-mounting marketing campaign, as Minter outlines: “We have a massive outdoor campaign in the works with phone kiosks, London underground and Universities across the UK. We also have Bravo TV advertising and probably one of the biggest and best online campaigns we’ve run for a product.

“We worked closely with top creative agency Eye-D Creative to create some really eye popping Digital Escalator panels and an HD Rich media online campaign – our online spend is one of the biggest we’ve ever invested in.

“Print advertising is across the board and includes publications like Hot List, Empire, Edge, Official Xbox and PlayStation, Loaded, Zoo, Nuts and Monkey Magazine. In addition to that we have some great promotion on the Bravo online and Virgin Media websites, Loaded is running a very cool Christy Hemme photospread in one of its forthcoming issues and obviously we are supporting retail with POS like window vinyls, posters and display cubes.”

There’s no market in the world that doesn’t have room for competitors, and wrestling is certainly no exception. Midway’s confidence in its game is very clear to see: “We have high hopes for TNA, the wrestling genre and the feedback we’ve had from TNA across all of our partners has been extremely positive. Every time we’ve put TNA on show with our retail buyers they’ve always given us a thumbs up and like the game very much.”