Meltzer: Lucha Underground has lost enough money to make TNA look profitable

[Here Comes the Pain]

Meltzer

Lucha Underground

 

[Ed MOTHEREFFING G]

brehs,

WCW didn't turn a profit from the day Ted Turner bought it, until AFTER Hogan showed up and beat flair for the belt

thats like a 3 year LOSS IN A ROW with TBS and TNT shows and VERY ESTABLISHED stars...

wrestling can have huge waves of losses, just being real here

 

[Vinny Lupton]

brehs,

WCW didn't turn a profit from the day Ted Turner bought it, until AFTER Hogan showed up and beat flair for the belt

thats like a 3 year LOSS IN A ROW with TBS and TNT shows and VERY ESTABLISHED stars...

wrestling can have huge waves of losses, just being real here

Turner bought it in 88 and Terry came in in 94

 

[Vinny Lupton]

They can't, breh. Their roster is 90% tied to AAA. They can't take them on tour because AAA has them wrestling engagements. They can't sell merchandise of them because AAA has the merchandise rights. The tv-show is all they have.

Why can't they take indie dudes in LA, put a mask on them and push those guys instead of AAAs guys?

 

[Mook]

brehs,

WCW didn't turn a profit from the day Ted Turner bought it, until AFTER Hogan showed up and beat flair for the belt

thats like a 3 year LOSS IN A ROW with TBS and TNT shows and VERY ESTABLISHED stars...

wrestling can have huge waves of losses, just being real here

Gotta go all the way to make money in wrestling breh. If I was TNA Id be on social media dropping tweets and posts about how I'll pay 20 mill for a year for Cena.

 

[David_TheMan]

I was under the impression LU was a El Rey original programming.
if we are to believe Meltzer, LU is doing time buys on El Rey.
I don't believe Meltzer, especially with regard to the losses.

LU may not be huge money and may even cost El Rey some cash, but I doubt they could sustain a loss of millions this quickly and be picked up another season or have original investors reup.

 

[Ill Lou Malnati]

Double Talk Dave is full of shyt.

 

[I-Hate-You]

Instead of resorting to that patented Meltzer vagueness, he could have actually spoken about where/how it is that LU is losing money. Talent contracts? Going over the production budget? Not acquiring efficient advertising?

Man...Meltz had an opportunity to talk about how a non-WWE company is on the verge of dying and get in a dig at TNA? He was too giddy to even think about specifics.

 

[TheGodling]

Why can't they take indie dudes in LA, put a mask on them and push those guys instead of AAAs guys?

Because they had to fill up the roster while simultaneously shooting for the stars, so they needed established talent to gain traction, and seeing how many folks on here ignored the show for most if not all of season one, they had a point.

Plus, three of the show's top guys are very much LU's own "creations", Prince Puma, Mil Muertes/Catrina and Johnny Mundo. They are slowly building other wrestlers but again, the AAA association was necessary for them to be able to leave a mark.

 

[Vinny Lupton]

Double Talk Dave is full of shyt.

Great post. Thanks for contributing. Your quality posts continue to shine bright as a beacon to other members

 

[stro]

Not a surprise. Their shows cost far more than a normal wrestling show and they have no revenue outside of ads on a niche show on a niche network that most people don't get or know about. They probably make most of their money getting a piece of all their talents' bookings.

 

[TheAlbionist]

Touring LU makes NO SENSE. It's kayfabe tied to that (beeeauuuutiful) venue.

What they need to do is get this on Netflix/Amazon globally RIGHT NOW. It's cash waiting to be collected.

 

[Vinny Lupton]

Touring LU makes NO SENSE. It's kayfabe tied to that (beeeauuuutiful) venue.

What they need to do is get this on Netflix/Amazon globally RIGHT NOW. It's cash waiting to be collected.

I can picture that meeting. "Look at these awful ratings we are getting on the network that owns us and in theory can place us in a prime spot and promote the shyt out of us.. we will need 10 million dollars for the first season if you want it on Netflix"

if Peppa Pig, Bob's Burgers and hologram Elvis can go on tour, a bunch of dudes in Gwar costumes can go on tour

 

[Ed MOTHERFUCKING G]

Turner bought it in 88 and Terry came in in 94

The three years was from when bischoff got there but its true, turner made no profit until 94ish

 

[TheAlbionist]

I can picture that meeting. "Look at these awful ratings we are getting on the network that owns us and in theory can place us in a prime spot and promote the shyt out of us.. we will need 10 million dollars for the first season if you want it on Netflix"

if Peppa Pig, Bob's Burgers and hologram Elvis can go on tour, a bunch of dudes in Gwar costumes can go on tour

It's not the same at all... The Temple is part of the show and a lot of the seemingly insane bumps/dives are only possible because the workers know exactly what they can get away with or can prepare for things in advance.

Put LU on tour and it'll lose its edge FAST, but give it more TV exposure worldwide and it could easily become a cult classic. Pentagon Jnr is a born star.

Netflix need to make that call to Vince. "Guess what, Vince.... we're in the Sports Entertainment Business!"

"That's nice, Mr. Netflix; I'm in the Sports Ent.... shyt "