The Hamilton Ave Journal 02.04.10: Volume 2 – Issue 123

Posted by JP Prag on 02.04.2010

Is the Miz poised to be the best selling talent in the WWE? Are you ready for the NXT WWE brand? Will TNA be able to curb illegal streams by offering their PPVs online? Or do they not care since they scored a record rating? All this and more is answered in this week’s edition of the Hamilton Ave Journal!

THE HAMILTON AVE JOURNAL
By JP Prag

Volume 2 – Issue 123

ABOUT THE JOURNAL

The Hamilton Ave Journal is the only wrestling news report focused solely on the business of wrestling. Here in the Journal we not only look at the stories that are important to the investor and business-minded person, but also delve deeper into stories that most fans of wrestling would overlook. That is because the Journal is about getting the heart of the matters that affect the companies and outlooks of the wrestling world.

And where is Hamilton Ave? That is the location of the WWE Production Studio in Stamford, CT, and thus the most powerful place in the wrestling world. Besides, The East Main Street Journal just does not have the right ring to it.

Who am I? I am JP Prag: consultant, entrepreneur, businessman, journalist, and wrestling fan.

Now, ring the bell because the market is open.






The Journal's front page area known as What's News isn't just about telling you what has happened. The stories in this section are about what will have an effect on the wrestling industry, individual federations, and the wallets of the fans.

LEAD STORY: The End of a Brand

On Tuesday February 2, 2010, WWE Chairman Vince McMahon appeared on ECW and announced the brand was coming to an end. Starting March 2, 2010, "WWE NXT" would premier in its place which, from all reports, would focus on the younger WWE talent and those in the development system.

Trademarks for "NXT" were filed on January 22, 2010, but the WWE may already be running into trouble with this. "NXT Wrestling" is an independent promotion out of Ruthergien, Scotland that was started in 2008. While trademark laws from the UK vary in comparison to the United States, the US has shown that they will honor the trademark laws of other countries. Of course, this would depend on if NXT Wrestling actually trademarked their organization, but that does not appear to be so. A search through the UK Intellectual Properties database did not reveal anything for the existing organization. However, the WWE did apply for the trademark on January 25, 2010.

On a side note, some other recent trademark applications by the WWE include:

All Fired Up (wrestling related)

The Chaperone (a movie title)

Sucker Punch (a movie title)

Delicious (wrestling related)

The WWE legal team is very on top of the trademark process (as any former talent can attest), so do not expect any trouble when it comes to other wrestling companies using the NXT initials anywhere in the world.

As of right now, NXT is expected to simply replace ECW in its timeslot. While SyFy no doubt would like the change considering the ratings, it is an open question whether the WWE is receiving the same rate for NXT as they were for ECW, or if NXT will be cheaper to produce with the less expensive talent. These questions will most likely not be answered until the WWE released 2010 Q1 results in April or May, which will undoubtedly be mostly focused on WrestleMania 27.

ECW on Sci-Fi / SyFy premiered on June 13, 2006. While ratings started off strong, the show took a continual downward path throughout its entire run. Still, it surpassed the run on television of its namesake by two and half year, which generally saw ratings below a 1.0 during its Friday night timeslot on the fledgling TNN (now Spike). For now, this looks like the last swan song of the initials ECW, as the WWE owns that entire history. From this point on, the organization will most likely only show up in retrospective DVDs and clips for the WWE's online and on demand services.


Newsbites

Some items of note in the rest of the wrestling business world:

As if there were not enough wrestling programs on TV, it looks like WWE developmental territory FCW may have a deal in the works. The organization has signed a local deal for a four week run on the MyNetworkTV station in Southern Florida starting on March 13, 2010. When the WWE started FCW, one of the key elements was securing a TV deal, but they have not been successful in getting one started and keeping it on the air. If this one does well, it may lead to a more permanent spot on the station.

With the city of New Orleans planning a parade for NFC Championship team the Saints, the WWE has been requested to change their venue for the SmackDown / ECW taping on February 9. The company has moved to tapings up to Baton Rouge and rescheduled the event meant for New Orleans to May 28, 2010.

Spike TV has removed the referenced to TNA being on the air on Monday March 1, 2010 from their website, but Universal Studios is still showing the date. There does not appear to be a consensus of what is happening on that day, yet.

TNA's Against All Odds PPV will be streaming online. This is the first TNA PPV to be streamed through the Video Vault Website. The price is $14.95 for the show, so it remains to be seen if a high quality pay feed can overtake a low quality free feed. However, the presentation through TNA Video Vault will not be available in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Germany and Australia, where most of that streaming would take anyway. Says the press release:

Now in the comfort of your own home and wherever you have internet access you can watch all of the action LIVE anywhere in the world that TNA Pay-Per-View events are not already offered via cable or satellite distribution.




In the Marketplace we look at the trends in television ratings. This section is less for critical analysis by the Journal but more for the reader to see what is really going on and to draw their own conclusions.

As with stocks, here in the Journal we track the progress of television ratings. If ratings are the barometer by which we judge the product, then over the course of 52 weeks we should be able to see patterns, trends, and anomalies.

For the week ending February 3, 2010, here are the current standings of our shows:





RAW
Close (This Week's Rating): 3.6
Open (Last Week's Rating): 3.6
Percentage Change: UNCH
52-Week High: 4.5
52-Week Low: 3.1
All Time High: 8.1
All Time Low: 1.8

SmackDown*
Close (This Week's Rating): 2.1
Open (Last Week's Rating): 2.1
Percentage Change: UNCH
52-Week High: 2.3
52-Week Low: 1.6
All Time High: 5.8
All Time Low: 1.0

* SmackDown! ratings may include fast overnight if final ratings are not posted. Also, SmackDown! ratings are for the prior week as overnights are not available before this article goes to print.

ECW
Close (This Week's Rating): 1.0
Open (Last Week's Rating): 0.9
Percentage Change: ▲ 11.1%
52-Week High: 1.4
52-Week Low: 0.7
All Time High: 2.3
All Time Low: 0.6

TNA iMPACT**
Close (This Week's Rating): 1.4
Open (Last Week's Rating): 1.3
Percentage Change: ▲ 11.1%
52-Week High: 1.5
52-Week Low: 0.7
All Time High: 1.5
All Time Low: 0.6

** TNA iMPACT's are for the prior week as ratings may not be available at the time of the Journal's posting

SuperStars***
Close (This Week's Rating): 1.0
Open (Last Week's Rating): 1.1
Percentage Change: ▼ 9.1%
52-Week High: 1.1
52-Week Low: 0.7
All Time High: 1.1
All Time Low: 0.7

*** SuperStars ratings may include fast overnight if final ratings are not posted. Also, SuperStars ratings are for the prior week as overnights are not available before this article goes to print.

Analysis:

Consistency was the name of the game this week, but consistency in a beneficial way. RAW maintained a 3.6 rating to extend their streak of 3.6+ ratings to six weeks. SmackDown, too, scored a 2.1 rating—the third week in a row with a 2.0+ rating. On top of that, SuperStars scored a 1.0+ rating for the second week in a row, the first time they have ever done that.

The real winner, though, was definitely TNA iMPACT with a 1.4 rating. This is the show's highest rating on a Thursday night ever and their second highest rating of all time. This is the forth week in a row with a 1.3+ rating, making it the second longest stream in TNA history (the longest coming in at five weeks from March 19, 2009 to April 16, 2009). The four week rolling average is now a 1.4 for the first time ever, meaning TNA is holding their highest average rating to date. At this time last year, TNA was average a 1.2 rating, meaning there is a year-over-year increase of nearly 17%.




We all know that wrestling is a business, but we don't often pay attention to what sells and makes money. Money and Investing looks into the top selling items in the world of wrestling and any interesting figures that may have come out this week.

What are the top selling items for the WWE? WWEShopZone.com releases a list of varying numbers to show what is selling for them:

1. John Cena Never Give Up Sweatband Set ($12.00)
2. John Cena Never Give Up T-Shirt ($25.00)
3. D Generation X Worlds Biggest Member T-Shirt ($25.00)
4. WWE Superstars Party Pack ($27.99)
5. John Cena Never Give Up YOUTH T-Shirt ($22.00)
6. Edge Rise Above T-Shirt ($25, on sale $14.98)
7. Bret Hart Emblem T-Shirt ($25.00)
8. Miz I'm Awesome T-Shirt ($25.00)
9. John Cena Never Give Up Baseball Cap ($20.00)
10. John Cena Valentines Day 2010 Package ($27.99)
11. John Cena Attitude Adjustment T-Shirt ($25, on sale $14.98)
12. D Generation X Army Personalized Jersey ($64, on sale $49.00)
13. John Cena Attitude Adjustment Basics YOUTH T-Shirt ($9.99)
14. D Generation X Army Sweatband Set ($12.00)
15. Edge Personalized Hockey Jersey ($64, on sale $19.98)
16. John Cena Illustrated YOUTH T-Shirt ($9.99)
17. Hardys Green Pendant ($10.00)
18. WWE Black Gift Bag ($3.00)
19. Jeff Hardy Purple/Black Armbands ($15.00)
20. John Cena Attitude Adjustment Pendant ($10.00)

With Edge back in the picture, it looks like anything he has is starting to quickly sell. Unfortunately, all the items he has are discounted as the new merchandise is just about to come in. It will be interesting to see if he can come in to this list next week with a full priced item and then hold on for several weeks. Someone who has done that recently is the Miz, who once again found himself in the top ten with the number eight spot just below Bret Hart. To have a heel be a top seller is unique enough, but to also have that person not be part of the main event picture of John Cena/Jeff Hardy/DX is a good sign that there is some potential growth of new stars in the WWE.


TNA sometimes releases a list of top selling items on ShopTNA.com. According to the site the top selling items were:

1. Hulk Hogan – Change T-shirt ($19.99)
2. Don's Insane Brown Bag Special ($20)
3 HOGAN JOINS TNA - Limited Edition Plaque and Card ($39.99)
4. "Hulkamania" T-shirt ($19.99)
5. Beer Money T-shirt ($19.99)
6. Emergence CD ($14.99, on sale $9.99)
7. Bound For Glory 2009 DVD ($19.99, on sale $17.99)
8. AJ Styles "Phenomenal Brand" T-shirt ($19.99)
9. Hard Justice 2009 DVD ($19.99, on sale $9.99)
10. Sting "Discharge" T-shirt ($19.99)

For an item with only 210 supposedly made, the plaque has certainly been on this list for a long time (a month now). According to TNA's website, there are still some in stock.




Wrestling isn't just about watching and reading. The best way to be a wrestling fan is to experience it live. Where is wrestling coming to in the next 2 weeks? The Personal Journal answers that question.

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
7 (Feb) WWE Supershow (Lake Charles, LA)	8 RAW (Lafayette, LA) SmackDown / ECW Live (Baton Rouge, LA)	9 SmackDown / ECW Live (New Orleans, LA)	10	11 SmackDown / ECW Live (Quito, Ecuador) TNA Live (Charlottesville, VA)	12 RAW Live (East Lansing, MI) SmackDown / ECW Live (Guayaquil, Ecuador) TNA Live (Norfolk, VA)	13 Raw Live (Madison, WI) SmackDown / ECW Live (San Jose, Costa Rica) ROH Live (New York City, NY)
14 RAW Live (Peoria, IL) SmackDown / ECW Live (Guadalajara, Mexico)	15 RAW (Des Moines, IA) TNA iMPACT (Orlando, FL)	16 SmackDown / ECW (Kansas City, MO) TNA iMPACT (Orlando, FL)	17	18	19 WWE SuperShow (Chicago, IL) TNA Live (Plattsburgh, NY)	20 WWE SuperShow (Springfield, IL) TNA Live (Massena, NY)

Do you know a wrestling event coming up? Send one in to The Hamilton Ave Journal and we'll be sure to add it to the list.




The Editorials section is designed for you, the readers, to respond to the views presented in the Journal, send an important news item, or talk about another overlooked business related item in wrestling. Just beware: the Journal reserves the right to respond back.

From the commentary section last week, perez wondered about TNA's ability to fix their problems in the UK:

TNA can't even fix their PPV problem in the US, much less the UK.

And what problem would that be? The shows are available in every market in the USA on a monthly basis. Their problem is converting free viewers into buyers, of which their conversion rate has been historically atrocious. Even TNA President Dixie Carter has gone on record as saying she does not believe the PPV model is the future but that they are locked into contracts right now. Over time, expect TNA to start to move away from PPVs, but not for a few years. As for the UK, as many people pointed out the "Pay Per Views" have traditionally been free there, as they are in many non-domestic markets.

TNA's real expansion comes in television rights fees, and one of those ways to increase fees is to gain viewership. To do so, they may be looking to move to Monday nights at some point. Darth Mortis wanted to share his thoughts on this end:

It really isn't Monday Night Wars 2.0 yet. It is more like Monday Night Skirmishes, if nothing else. Until TNA, as the recognised threat to the WWE, goes live every Monday night in hour to hour competition it is nothing more than THA having special live Monday night shows every once and a while.

This isn't really TNA taking it to the WWE head to head, it is just ringing Vince's doorbell and hiding behind the hedges (right now.)

Let's try and keep perspective here, until it is live week by week, hour vs hour, it isn't as big a thing as it is being made out to be.

Oh, and until actual proof comes out to the contrary, it is absurd to think of Hogan as anything more than an on screen character at this time. TNA is just working its fans like the WWE did when they 'fired' Matt Hardy.

Isn't there something to be said for these "skirmishes", though? Are they not a pre-cursor to a potential "war"? Isn't seeing what happens in these head-to-head nights and analyzing the results of at least a modicum of interest? Well, Luke doesn't think so:

I really don't understand the obsession with the Monday Night War. It seems totally bizarre to me - why on earth would they try to go up against WWE at the same time? Why not continue Thursday shows and running ads on UFC, during RAW etc? What do they gain from this?

Well, Luke, from Issue #119 of the Journal:

So perhaps Monday night proved one thing: there is a whole audience that only exists with competition. And perhaps it also shows that there a large pool of people that are available that want to get back into the product but have not found the opportunity. While RAW and Nitro started out with a combined 4.7 rating, the shows peaked at a combined 11.4 rating. There is an opportunity for growth that does not include stealing audience from one show to another, but growing a whole new fan base or bringing back the 6 million people that have been lost to product over time.

Hopefully, that helps you understand why going head to head can be beneficial for TNA instead of staying in their own world.


Plenty more was written, so be sure to take a look. And if you enjoy the Journal, why not bookmark 411mania.com and make it your home page? You can do that by clicking here.




This concludes Issue #123 (Volume 2) of THE HAMILTON AVE JOURNAL. Join us next week as we get ready to ring the bell again.

Till then!