Reaction Zone - TNA Pops its cork

TNA, also known as the promotion that won't die, is packing up and changing networks again. At this rate, they'll be like a free agent left-handed pitcher, hanging on via a series of one year contracts to extend their lifespan, which is amazingly still close to flatlining, regardless of what they see for themselves.

By now, you know that TNA is moving from Discovery Networks' Destination America after just 1 year, and shifting to the Pop Network, formerly TV Guide Channel, on Tuesday, January 5. Changing nights won't help, even if Pop reaches more homes than Destination America. Pop culture types, however, and the pun is intended, by the way, won't even set eyes on Impact wrestling until after the broadcast networks' season ends in May. Why? Because Impact will be airing opposite shows like NCIS: New Orleans (CBS), iZombie (CW), and the two Marvel Comics shows sharing space on ABC, Agents of SHIELD and Agent Carter, the latter also returning in January. The niche audience for TNA will find the show, but if the quality of the product remains as is, it won't last.

It's kind of like the last burning embers of a campfire that just can't be put out fast enough. They linger on and on until someone finally pours enough water on it to put it out for good. As long as Dixie Carter remains in charge of TNA, they're not going anywhere upstream. They can't. Dixie has proven over the course of time to be too much of a star mark, combing the WWE & Ring of Honor waiver wires, looking for familiar faces to bring in, hoping to pop a bigger rating, but that ship sailed a long time ago.

Speaking of ROH, their cable deal also shifts from Destination America, but to something called Comet TV, which, like ROH itself, is a product of Sinclair Broadcasting. The two wrestling promotions were not a fit for DA anymore than wrestling has been for SyFy, dating back to when the channel was still the Sci-Fi Channel. Small wonder, then, that NBC-Universal-Comcast has finally decided to move Smackdown over to USA, also in January. End of digression.

As long as TNA insists on hanging its hat on a parody of a stale act (Ethan Carter III) as a top draw, it's not going anywhere, no matter how well Carter does. Not his fault Vince McMahon won't give up the tired evil boss act after 18 years. McMahon refuses to move forward. TNA can't move forward for a different reason. Its owners don't know how.

Don't be at all surprised if, around this same time next year, we're talking again about TNA changing networks. It's becoming an annual tradition.


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