-- ALSO SEE: Impact ratings report

By James Caldwell, Torch assistant editor

TNA Impact on Thursday, December 1 scored a 1.16 rating off a first hour 1.18 rating and second hour 1.14 rating.

Impact peaked with a 1.31 rating in the fifth quarter-hour for the Knockouts match of the week. The low-point came half-an-hour later with a 1.04 rating in the seventh quarter-hour. Impact rebounded slightly to a 1.09 rating for the main event segment to close the show.

The first five quarter-hours were above the corresponding yearly average. The final three quarter-hours were below the yearly average, continuing a six-week trend of the final 45 minutes drawing below-average ratings.

Removing the Thanksgiving episode, where the ratings were skewed due to the low audience level, Impact has averaged a 1.31 rating in Q5 the last six weeks. The final three quarter-hours have averaged a 1.15 rating over that same stretch - a 12 percent decline.

First Hour Break Down

Q1: Impact opened with a 1.22 rating - the second-highest of the show. The segment featured Roode, Sting, Styles, and Hardy setting up the main event, plus one commercial break. (up 3.3% vs. 2011-Q1 average)

Q2: Impact dipped slightly to a 1.17 rating for Hardy and Jarrett backstage, Bischoff and Ray backstage, one commercial, and intros for the #1 contender tag match. (up 0.8% vs. 2011-Q2 average)

Q3: Impact increased slightly to a 1.20 rating for the full tag match, one commercial break, and the Austin Aries-Kid Kash talking segment. (up 2.5% vs. 2011-Q3 average)

Q4: Impact dropped to a first-hour low 1.14 rating for Gunner's trip to the gym, Sting and Jarrett talking backstage, and two full commercial breaks, which dragged down the rating. (up 0.8% vs. 2011-Q4 average)

Second Hour Break Down

Q5: Impact increased to a show-high 1.31 rating, an increase of 15 percent compared to Q4. On the year, Impact has averaged a 10 percent increase from Q4 to Q5.

The segment included Steiner & Ray backstage, the full Mickie-ODB Street Fight, one commercial, and the first-half of James Storm and Kurt Angle's satellite exchange. (up 5.6% vs. 2011-Q5 average)

Q6: Impact dropped back to the Q4 level with a 1.12 rating for the end of Angle-Storm, one commercial, various backstage segments, and the first-half of Robbie E. vs. RVD for the TV Title. (down 3.7% vs. 2011-Q6 average)

Q7: Impact declined to a show-low 1.04 rating for the second-half of Robbie-RVD, one commercial, backstage bits, and ring introductions for the main event. (down 9.0% vs. 2011-Q7 average)

Q8: Impact increased slightly to a 1.09 rating for the Roode-Styles-Hardy main event set up at the beginning of the show. There was also one mid-match commercial. (down 8.2% vs. 2011-Q8 average)

Caldwell's Analysis: Much like WWE Raw, TNA has struggled as of late to uphold the ratings in the second hour. Competition is tough against the second hour of Impact, and lately, it seems viewers have been checking out after sampling Impact at the start of the second hour.

[Torch art credit Grant Gould (c) PWTorch.com]

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