Ray's UK Rating's Report: Week Ending August 14th 2011

Courtesy of the Broadcaster's Audience Research Board (BARB) here are the UK TV ratings for wrestling programming that ranked in the top 10's for their respective channels on the week ending August 14th 2011:

1	TNA PRESENTS IMPACT WRESTLING (Tue, Challenge , 2200)	241,000
2	TNA HARDCORE JUSTICE PPV (Wed, Challenge, 2201)	214,000
3	WWE LATE NIGHT RAW – LIVE (Mon, Sky Sport 3, 2600)	129,000
4	WWE LATE NIGHT SMACKDOWN (Fri, Sky Sports 4, 2233)	101,000
5	TNA XPLOSION (Wed, Challenge, 2200)	Under 177,000
6	WWE EXPERIENCE (Sun, Sky Sports 4, 1730)	25,000

Despite a drop from last week's all time high viewership record, it's another impressive showing from IMPACT Wrestling on Challenge as it not only remains the most watched wrestling show in the UK and Ireland, but once again outdraws the competition with more viewers than WWE Raw and Smackdown COMBINED. The show garnered 241,000 viewers (down 56,000 viewers [18.9%] from last week) for the Tuesday August 9th episode headlined by an RVD/Crimson vs. Scott Steiner/Gunner main event and the contract signing for Kurt Angle vs. Sting at Hardcore Justice.

Speaking of the Pay-Per View, TNA Hardcore Justice, which featured a highly anticipated World Title bout between Sting and Kurt Angle, garnered 214,000 viewers for it's airing on Wednesday the 10th. This was a rise of 34,000 viewers [18.9%] from last months pay-per view, TNA Destination X and up 10,000 viewers from the previous most watched pay-per view - Sacrifice. This means Hardcore Justice becomes the most watched TNA pay-per view event ever broadcast on UK television.

WWE RAW drew 129,000 viewers, equalling last weeks numbers, for it's Monday August 8th episode which featured the CM Punk/John Cena contract signing for their Summerslam bout as well as an R-Truth vs. John Morrison main event.

WWE's other flagship show, Smackdown, garnered 101,000 viewers (down 25,000 viewers [19.8%] from last week and the second consecutive ratings drop for the show.) for the Friday August 12th edition which was headlined by a Randy Orton vs. Great Khali Main Event.

Here's how the total's look for the year to date since IMPACT's return to UK Television on Challenge:

Weekly Ratings Wins so far (2011)*:
IMPACT Wrestling – 23
WWE RAW – 2
WWE Smackdown – 2

*Based on first showing viewing figures, not inclusive of +1 or replay figures.

Ray's UK Rating's Report: Week Ending August 7th 2011

Courtesy of the Broadcaster's Audience Research Board (BARB) here are the UK TV ratings for wrestling programming that ranked in the top 10's for their respective channels on the week ending August 7th 2011:

1	TNA PRESENTS IMPACT WRESTLING (Tue, Challenge , 2200)	297,000
2	WWE LATE NIGHT RAW – LIVE (Mon, Sky Sport 3, 2600)	129,000
3	WWE LATE NIGHT SMACKDOWN (Fri, Sky Sports 3, 2216)	126,000
4	TNA XPLOSION (Wed, Challenge, 2200)	Under 160,000
5	WWE EXPERIENCE (Sun, Challenge, 1701)	34,000
6	WWE NXT (Thu, Sky Sports 4, 2400)	28,000
7	WWE BOTTOM LINE  (Sat, Sky Sports 4, 1331)	25,000

It's another impressive showing from IMPACT Wrestling on Challenge as it not only remains the most watched wrestling show in the UK and Ireland, but breaks it's all time viewership record with a whopping 297,000 viewers, breaking the previous record of 282,000 set just two weeks ago. The show garnered 297,000 viewers (Up 63,000 viewers [21.2%] from last week) for the Tuesday August 2nd episode headlined by a superb Kurt Angle vs. Mr. Anderson steel cage match.

WWE RAW drew 129,000 viewers (Down 27,000 viewers [17.3%] from last week 156,000) for it's Monday August 1st episode which featured CM Punk's re-signing with WWE, the announcement of the Undisputed WWE Title match for Summerslam and an Alberto Del Rio vs. Evan Bourne main event.

Both IMPACT Wrestling and RAW remain the most watched shows on their respective channels.

WWE's other flagship show, Smackdown, garnered (Down 2,000 viewers [1.56%] from last week 128,000) 126,000 viewers for the Friday August 5th edition which was headlined by a Randy Orton & John Morrison vs. Christian & R-Truth Main Event.

Here's how the total's look for the year to date since IMPACT's return to UK Television on Challenge:

Weekly Ratings Wins so far (2011)*:
IMPACT Wrestling – 22
WWE RAW – 2
WWE Smackdown – 2

*Based on first showing viewing figures, not inclusive of +1 or replay figures.

Ray's UK Rating's Report: Week Ending July 31st 2011

Courtesy of the Broadcaster's Audience Research Board (BARB) here are the UK TV ratings for wrestling programming that ranked in the top 10's for their respective channels on the week ending July 31st 2011:

1	TNA PRESENTS IMPACT WRESTLING (Tue, Challenge , 2202)	234,000
2	WWE LATE NIGHT RAW – LIVE (Mon, Sky Sport 3, 2600)	156,000
3	WWE LATE NIGHT SMACKDOWN (Fri, Sky Sports 2, 2201)	128,000
4	TNA PRESENTS IMPACT WRESTLING (Sat, Challenge, 2100)	122,000
5	TNA XPLOSION (Wed, Challenge, 2200)	Under 122,000
6	WWE BOTTOM LINE (Sat, Sky Sports 3, 1200)	53,000
7	WWE SUPERSTARS (Sat, Sky Sports 4, 2200)	15,000

Despite being down from it's all time high viewership record last week (282,000 viewers), it's IMPACT Wrestling on Challenge that remains the most watched wrestling show in the UK and Ireland. The show garnered 234,000 viewers for the Tuesday July 26th episode headlined by a Sting & Kurt Angle vs. Mr. Anderson & Bully Ray Tag-Team bout.

WWE RAW drew 156,000 viewers for it's Monday July 25th episode which featured a John Cena vs. Rey Mysterio Main Event and the highly anticipated return of CM Punk. There were no figures released last week for the Sky Sports channels so I am unable to determine whether or not this was a rise in viewership but the number does seem larger than RAW's usual numbers so I would suspect this was a rise in viewers this week, sparked largely by the interest of CM Punk's impending return and Triple H's first complete RAW as COO.

Both IMPACT Wrestling and RAW remain the most watched shows on their respective channels.

WWE's other flagship show, Smackdown, garnered 128,000 viewers for it's Friday July 29th edition which was headlined by a Randy Orton vs. R-Truth Main Event.

Here's how the total's look for the year to date since IMPACT's return to UK Television on Challenge:

Weekly Ratings Wins so far (2011)*:
IMPACT Wrestling – 21
WWE RAW – 2
WWE Smackdown – 2

*Based on first showing viewing figures, not inclusive of +1 or replay figures.

Ray's UK Rating's Report: Week Ending July 24th 2011

The Broadcaster's Audience Research Board (BARB) have released the UK TV ratings for the week ending July 24th 2011. And the figures should certainly please everyone associated with IMPACT Wrestling as it's flagship show on Challenge TV set yet another UK viewership record, garnering 282,000 viewers for the Tuesday July 19th episode headlined by Sting's World Heavyweight Title win over Mr. Anderson.

This is a viewership increase of 71,000 viewers (33.7%) from last week alone, a truly staggering figure! This means the episode was the most watched TNA/IMPACT Wrestling program ever broadcast in the UK, beating the previous record high of 244,000 set by the Tuesday 3rd May episode. Interestingly, this show was also headlined by Sting and Mr. Anderson (in a three way bout against Bully Ray), looks like IMPACT Wrestling have made a smart move in having the Stinger headline their upcoming UK Maximum Impact Tour!

Strangely there are no viewership figures provided by BARB for any of the Sky Sports channels this week so I'm unable to draw comparisons with WWE's RAW and Smackdown this week, but it's pretty safe to say that IMPACT Wrestling won the week. Here's how the total's look for the year to date since IMPACT's debut on Challenge:

Weekly Ratings Wins so far (2011)*:
IMPACT Wrestling – 20
WWE RAW – 2
WWE Smackdown – 2

*Based on first showing viewing figures, not inclusive of +1 or replay figures.

TNA vs. WWE "UK Ratings War": The Facts

Yesterday saw the announcement of yet more record high viewership numbers for TNA Wrestling on Challenge. I’ve been proud of this sites (TNA UK) unrivalled analysis of the weekly UK wrestling ratings and as such feel it necessary to address the one criticism that keeps getting thrown TNA Wrestling’s way (well at least from WWE marks anyway!) when it comes to these viewing figures – that TNA iMPACT! is broadcast on Challenge TV, a freeview channel whereas WWE is broadcast on Sky Sports which is a premium/subscription service.

Whilst the above statement is true to an extent, is that really the only reason why TNA is consistently pummelling WWE programming in the ratings? It would be extremely close minded and unfair to all involved to put it down to just that. In fact TNA was outdrawing WWE long before it was on Freeview, our ratings analysis archive will attest to that.

Freeview vs. Premium
The fact remains more people sat on their sofa and flicked the channel to Challenge tv on Tuesday night than did WWE on Monday night, and if that trend continues WWE ought to be concerned, TNA’s product is gaining massive exposure right now in the UK and WWE’s not exactly giving viewers much reason to switch the channel back to their product which pales in comparison.

The channel it was broadcast on is irrelevant, the fact that TNA landed an arguably better Television deal is something they should be praised for surely? If WWE were so concerned with this ratings trend, shouldn’t they be looking to move away from a premium broadcaster and open their product to a wider audience?

And let’s just pause for a moment and ask the question that no-one else is – Is Challenge a better broadcaster to be on than Sky Sports? The fact thats its on the freeview epg dosen’t actually give TNA an immediate advantage, in fact Sky Sports is a much more well known channel, not to mention an established destination for wrestling programming.

And if we examine the Broadcasters Audience Research Boards weekly reach figures (That is “the number of viewers who watched the channel for at least three minutes in a given week”.), Sky Sports channels are drawing over 6 million viewers (6,102,000) whereas Challenge draws just over 4 Million (4,159,000).

Couple that with the fact that TNA programming is rarely, if ever, advertised by Challenge/Sky and iMPACT! has relied almost entirely on promotion from sites like mine and social media such as twitter and facebook and it’s plain to see that this has very little in fact to do with the channel and lot to do with the fact that TNA is now providing weekly programming and monthly specials featuring wrestlings biggest names aswell as the stars of the future and overall a superior and fan engaging product.

TNA constantly make mention of how great TNA fans are here in the UK and how grateful they are at just how excited we are about the product, but it should be remembered that WCW was available on terrestrial tv in the past, and even at its height it never beat the WWE ratings wise.

TNA’s success is not just down to a rabid wrestling fanbase here in the UK, it’s not just down to Challenge being on freeview and it’s not just down to it’s successful European tours but it’s also thanks to the superbly talented individuals on the roster and the hardworking folks behind the scenes at TNA that make tuning in every week an easy choice.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy TNA Tuesday tonight folks!

- Ray Mullan