10 People Most Responsible For TNA's Failure

10. Spike TV

Spike TV’s cancellation of Impact sparked a big downturn in TNA’s fortunes. Ratings weren’t outstanding on Spike, but they were largely in line with the network’s other shows, and TNA’s last show with them drew an audience of 980,000.

Ratings took an immediate hit when TNA moved to Destination America (359,000 viewers on the first week), with figures typically ranging from 300-380k on Pop TV today.

Being cut from Spike has been disastrous for TNA, and the blame lies largely in the Carter family’s hands. Though there were concerns surrounding TNA’s growth potential, it’s largely believed that Spike pulled the plug because of their distrust towards TNA’s ownership. It was reported that Panda Energy went back on several promises they’d made to the network (including an agreement to never bring Vince Russo back), so Spike cancelled the show.

It’s impossible to blame the network for such a decision, but the move effectively slashed TNA’s audience to a third of what it used to be. TNA’s problems started long before 2014, but at least they still had an audience. Today, only the hardcore loyalists remain, and Impact has never recovered from Spike's cancellation.