Where is Spike TV?

[Jeff Harris]

Okay, it's been a few weeks since the lawsuit was settled, so, why didn't The National Network start going by that Spike TV moniker the morning after the settlement was made?

Seriously. There isn't a freeze on the name anymore, and Viacom can officially use it. For somebody that claimed that they were losing money every day they didn't go by SpikeTV, wouldn't you think they would have started using it almost immediately?

They're not even hyping a name change, and the http://www.spiketv.com domain is still not functioning.

You want to know what I think? Well, I'm gonna tell ya anyway :P

This whole lawsuit situation was a publicity stunt that the legal system unfortunately got involved in. See, apparently Viacom might have felt that the June rebranding of TNN to SpikeTV was a bit too premature, especially since they didn't have anything other than the cartoon strip to offer. So, out of nowhere, Spike Lee (who had nothing better to do that month since the Knicks weren't in the playoffs) decided to sue to stop the name change. If the name change was delayed, then TNN would have enough time to create a stronger lineup. Plus, the lawsuit would be in the news, providing TNN with more publicity, which helped generate a little interest into what they were offering.

The name change was halted legally a couple of days before the official launch, but weeks later, the lawsuit was settled out of court, not dropped. Guess both parties didn't want to drag this silly case on, TNN got pretty much what they want. A delay in the name change and an extreme focus on their new cartoons. And for his "efforts," Spike Lee got a multiyear production deal with MTV Networks, including SpikeTV, along with the undisclosed settlement.

And yet, TNN is not SpikeTV. They don't even sound like they're in a rush to change it any time soon, especially since all the commercials made for SpikeTV no longer refer to the First Network for Men, but rather The New TNN.

Or maybe I'm just being silly, who knows?

[DianaGohan]

It will probably take them a while to relaunch the name after that whole Spike Lee fiasco. At latest though, I would say that it TNN will offically become Spike TV in Mid August.

[The Penguin]

I think Diana is absolutely right about the timing of the name change now. TNN had at least a month of hype invested in the name change and then Spike Lee took it all away. They had to pretend like they had not spent the last month-plus hyping the debut of Spike TV. I bet there are suits and marketing people working and the name change, take two right now.

Interesting theory though, Jeff.

[czyznyck99]

I basically came up with the same theory in the other thread. That's why TNN has no class. Spike TV will probably show up in the fall, and by then I will have stopped watching.

Later.

[Condiment King]

Yeah, they'll probably relaunch by August...though now they already kinda have a transitional name for the network, simply the 'First Network for Men'. After all, that is the logo now on some or most of the shows. I've only caught The New TNN a couple of times during old promos like for Extreme Challenge.

Bah, I always thought that The New TNN was a better name. After a couple of years, it'd get pretty funny still calling it The New TNN, a good running gag at least. Better than Spike TV.