By James Caldwell, PWTorch assistant editor

TNA Impact Wrestling on Thursday, January 26 officially scored a 1.17 rating off a first hour 1.19 rating and second hour 1.15 rating.

The Impact quarter-hour ratings followed two standard patterns - (a) steady decline from the beginning to the end of each hour and (b) the second hour's decline was steeper than the first hour's.

Also, for the third time out of four weeks to start 2012, Impact's highest-rated quarter-hour was the first quarter-hour. Thursday's Impact scored a 1.26 rating to begin the show, which was the highest Q1 rating of the year and highest since November 3.

Impact also scored its highest eighth quarter-hour rating of the year, a 1.16 rating, which was the highest since November 10. In-between relatively strong Q1 and Q8 ratings, though, the middle portion of the show slacked off, dragging down the overall rating.

First Hour Break Down

Q1: Impact opened with a 1.26 rating for a show-opening video package on the TNA Title picture, the first-half of a Knockouts three-way match, and one commercial break. (up 7.0% vs. 2011-Q1 average)

Q2: Impact slipped to a relatively strong 1.22 rating for the second-half of the Knockouts match, a post-match celebration for Tara, one commercial break, and TNA Title picture individuals coming to the ring. (up 5.6% vs. 2011-Q2 average)

Q3: Impact continued the first hour decline with a 1.17 rating for Sting setting up a Tag Tables main event, one commercial, and Alex Shelley vs. Zema Ion in an X Division match. (flat with 2011-Q3 average)

Q4: Impact finished the steady drop-off with a 1.09 rating to close the hour. The segment included non-wrestling segments and two full commercial breaks, dragging down the quarter-hour rating. (down 3.1% vs. 2011-Q4 average)

Second Hour Break Down

Q5: Impact popped back to a 1.24 rating for a Knockouts tag match of Angelina Love & Winter vs. ODB & Eric Young, a backstage segment, and one commercial break. (flat vs. 2011-Q5 average)

Q6: Impact began to decline again with a 1.12 rating for Samoa Joe vs. Morgan, one commercial break, and A.J. Styles confronting Kazarian. (down 3.4% vs. 2011-Q6 average)

Q7: Impact continued the first hour pattern with another drop to a show-low 1.08 rating. The segment included Styles, Kazarian, and Daniels talking in the ring, one commercial break, ring intros for the main event, and the first portion of the main event tables match of Jeff Hardy & James Storm vs. Robert Roode & Bully Ray. (down 5.2% vs. 2011-Q7 average)

Q8: Impact rebounded to a 1.16 rating for the majority of the Tables main event, plus one commercial break. (down 1.5% vs. 2011-Q8 average)

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

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