TNA house shows have become the company’s most successful division according to a new report by The Wrestling Observer Newsletter. While attendance numbers vary market to market, the company is averaging around $20 per head for merchandise, which is up from $6 last year.
The reason for this is Don West being on the road and giving a live presentation at events of the TNA merchandise. Jeff Jarrett is currently running the house shows creatively while Jeremy Borash and Don West put together the non-wrestling aspects of the events. The only minor issue is that with Jarrett booking some of the shows don’t go together creatively with the weekly Impact TV show.
Vince Russo reportedly asked to book the house shows so they would follow TV storylines. One rather interesting aspect of the house shows is that a lot of the talent now want to work them since they are fun, where as the opinion of TV tapings is the direct opposite. Most of the TNA brass like Russo and Eric Bischoff largely stay away from house show events. Bischoff has worked two events so far since starting with the company, Hulk Hogan has yet to attend a show and either has Russo despite being with the company for years. Russo was actually within five minutes of a recent TNA event in Colorado and passed on attending.