It was announced this week that "SmackDown!", the little show that was launched during the height of the Monday Night Wars, will soon be homeless. "SmackDown!" debuted on CBS owned UPN before it was renamed The CW. This past week, World Wrestling Entertainment was told that The CW has decided to conclude their working relationship.The CW's exclusive time period for re-negotiation expired on Thursday, January 31. CW executives knowingly allowed the deadline to come and go.
"SmackDown!" will continue to air on The CW until the conclusion of the 2007-08 broadcast season.
The company line right now is that "SmackDown!" will appear on a new network following the end of this broadcast deal. Jim Ross talked about the appeal of first run, original programming, 51 weeks of the year.
This of course begs the question - why has WWE programming - so desirable by cable providers, never had a home on one of the big networks? If it was such a hot property, would would they have been forced into a situation where they sacrifice ad revenue to the provider in exchange to simple have the air time?
With wrestling having such a negative stigma in the public eye right now, and "SmackDown!" ratings being lower than ever, I don't see the search for a new broadcaster being an easy one.
20 comments: on "The End of SmackDown!?"
You would think that the CW network would be eager to keep Smackdown, seeing as how original programming is at a premium with the on-going writers' strike. But if CW(the lowest rated of all the major broadcast networks) doesn't want to air Smackdown, who will?
Maybe this means a move to cable for Smackdown. Or maybe this means the end of Smackdown.
WWE should consolidate the rosters and unfortunately cut ties with a lot of rosters. No point in two shows anymore. Am I wrong?
Ok, let me clarify. WWE should bring together both rosters. Why have two different brands under one company any longer?
I doubt seriously that this is the end. I mentioned it earlier, but I doubt it. MyNetworkTV is apparently WANTING "SmackDown!" but apparently some within the E consider it a lateral move at best.
At this point though, we still don't know if it's in the NBCUniversal package with ECW and RAW, if it is an NBC network will pick it up. NBC, MSNBC, Bravo, USA, and so on and so forth. Don't be surprised to see it land on Bravo. The Project Runway that featured the WWE Divas did 3.0 rating. That's more than SD, ECW and TNA, and almost as much as Raw. Don't think the execs at Bravo didn't notice.
The roster split does get on my nerves more times than not, but I don't think a consolidation is the answer to anything. There are too many "main eventers" and not close to enough mid-carders, both upper and lower, and I'm pretty sure doing that would void a current TV contract that would cost the E more money than they'd stand to gain by letting some of the "lesser" talent go.
SD could end up on NBC or even Sci-Fi. I heards rumors last week NBC was considering putting RAW on the national NBC netwrok so maybe SD could end up there or like I said maybe the SCi-Fi channel. they could jsut get rid of ECW and have SD on the Sci-FI.
They should kill off smackdown and combine the ecw and smackdown roster to create a new stronger show! lets face it smackdown has been old for a long time now! and even the wrestler who used the catchphrase of the shows title has been gone for years. maybe its time to try something new while they have the chance! but they probley wont and just carry on producing the same old crap.
"Raw" is older than "SmackDown!" and just recently did "SmackDown!" go into the shitter, it was the A show. They just need to re-up the talent on the roster. I have been begging them to make new talent, but I dont think they have the ability and/or the patience to do it.
I doubt seriously that "SmackDown!" will end up on SciFi or NBC. If it ends up on NBC the timeslot will be TERRIBLE. It could happen but it's a long shot. MyNetworkTV, and Bravo are the ones that will likely get it.
CW didn't mind having "SmackDown!" on it's network until the adult viewership fell off. They lost some viewers in the 18-49 demographic and they weren't happy. They also felt that NOBODY who watched "SmackDown!" stayed on the CW to watch other shows, and they were right.
If Vince and his boys want to market their show to the kids then remove all cursing and move the fucker to Disney or Nickelodeon.
How awful would wrestling be if it ended up on the disney channel? Wow we think it's bad now just imagine if that happened.
That was my point within a point. QUIT MARKETING THE SHIT FOR THE BABIES! Wrestlings boom period was the attitude era when it was marketed away from the children.
Remember when Smackdown was great and was the lead show in WWE, just shows you how bad it's fallen from grace, is a bloody joke now. Scrap it!
You can't scrap it because a bad stretch. If that were the case, there would be no "Raw," no "ECW," and no "TNA," therefore Pro Wrestling would be dead.
Look for them to announce a deal with MyNetworkTV in the next few days-weeks.
I said that wrong, look for them to announce a deal within days of their final, or ON their final CW broadcast.
what is mynetworktv?
It was the old WB back in the day. It's tied with CW at the bottom of the networks list, but they are DYING for something like the WWE.
I think the problem with SD is that it began as an extension of RAW, there was no difference between the two. Which was fine, the wrestling audience could support that. Hell, I used to watch five hours of wrestling on mondays alone! But they don't have that audience any more and so they need to keep their overall product unified while making SD and ECW different enough to draw on their own. I think that SD has been very close at times at producing something markedly different but for one reason or another has fallen short. They have the talent to appeal to a different demographic, but seem to chicken out at the last second. Kennedy and Cena are both very good fits for the show but were moved to RAW. I feel I would be more interested if they put out something other than RAW without the talent. Put out a product that appealed to minorities and teenage girls (A side note, I saw Cena at a house show several years ago and the pitch and volume of teenage girls screaming was incredible, Kennewick WA). Clean up the program even more, make it accessible to families. That doesn't mean that it won't have drama, or be good or have good matches. I don't think McMahon knows there is an audience for wrestling minus the boobs, beer, and swearing.
SD on Bravo, whose primary audience lives alternative lifestyles, is absolutely ridiculous. Even more so than ECW on SCI-FI.
I can agree with the "alternative lifestyles" stance, but demographics aren't lifestyle, but age.
I think it'll be MyNetworkTV, because I don't think SD is included on the NBCUniversal deal.
True, but psychographics (or what's in the customers head) is nearly as important as demographics in marketing. Basically it's Bravo saying will this draw and keep customers or will this alienate or current customers.
I do agree with you, I was just going on the base assumption that since Project Runway featuring the WWE Diva's drew a 3.0, and "SmackDown!" hasn't drawn undera 2.5 in the last year(maybe don't quote me) Bravo may think, well, what the hell, revenue is revenue. Don't forget Billy and Chuck either.
I think that everyone can enjoy wrestling if they dismiss the stereotypes, not easy, but possible. A Cena move to "SmackDown!" may be in the works then. Fatty would be all over that.
hehe, well I think I may revoke my position after some consideration, after all wrestling is all about accessorizing. You come out to a ring wearing a robe, shorts and boots into and fight over a belt, how gay is that?
At least they might actually pick up Norman Smiley and Canyon in the attempt to draw new viewers.
oh lets face it who wouldn't like to see queer eye for the straight guy then smackdown followed by another queer eye for the straight guy
Post a Comment