SD leaves CW

[chessarmy]

I guess Spike TV's out of the question being that it is also the home to TNA wrestling. Perhaps G4 since it's strayed so far from actual gaming anyway, or Sci-Fi? I always thought it was strange how SMD & Raw were on different channels yet the same company, I guess ratings figures into that.

LOL, G4? All of the stunning....8 people who watch that channel are not going to care about a wrestling show. Besides, the ratings would go down to at the very least...a .5, because not everyone gets G4 and the channel sucks anyway

Smackdown! is going to NBC

 

[Nation]

Today I was looking at the Los Angeles Times Business section of the newspaper. The article is The CW gives 'Smackdown' the brushoff. The TV network will drop wrestling as it tries to build its audience by targeting young women.

In the article it says that The CW dropping Smackdown because they are not drawing the young women viewer demographic on Smackdown.

Credit: Chris A.

Apparently the CW dropped it at they want to become the next Oxygen channel.

 

[Tsaalyo Phoenix]

`Smackdown' Smacked Down by CW Network
By FRAZIER MOORE – 1 day ago

NEW YORK (AP) — Pro wrestling is getting smacked down by the CW network.

The long-running "Friday Night Smackdown" won't be airing on the CW this fall, the network and World Wrestling Entertainment said late Thursday. In separate announcements, they stated that "after a successful decade of `Smackdown,'" they had agreed to conclude their partnership after the 2007-08 season.

No reasons were offered.

WWE added that it began talks with other networks after the CW's exclusive period to negotiate a renewal ended Jan. 31. Although no details were disclosed for a possible new home for the show, candidates might include NBC Universal, whose USA cable channel already carries "WWE Raw," and MyNetworkTV, where some affiliates aired "Smackdown" when they were UPN stations.

The two-hour "Smackdown" premiered on then-fledgling UPN in fall 1999 as strategic counterprogramming on Thursdays. "Smackdown" gave UPN a foothold on that night of bruising prime-time competition, but even as a ratings contender, it proved to be a sometimes uncomfortable fit with UPN's image.

When UPN, owned by CBS, merged with Warner Bros.' WB in 2006, "Smackdown" seemed no less out of place on the resulting CW network.

The CW is a joint venture between Time Warner Inc.'s Warner Bros. unit and CBS Corp.

Source: The Associated Press

So no, this isn't Vince pulling out so he can get a Thursday night slot to compete with TNA, this is WWE being reduced to two brands unless they find another network for Smackdown.

 

[Tsaalyo Phoenix]

Sorry for the double post...

One of the big stories coming out of last week is that after a 10-year partnership, WWE's successful show "SmackDown!" is leaving The CW Network (formerly UPN). The final episode of Smackdown to air on the CW Network is scheduled to be Friday, September 12.

CW executives do not think that SmackDown leaving will hurt their network. Despite SmackDown! being one of CW's top rated shows, research data indicated that WWE fans were tuning into the CW just for SmackDown and would not watch any other CW shows.

At this point, "MyNetworkTV" is looking to be the frontrunner as the new home for Smackdown this Fall. Due to WWE's agreement with NBC Universal, WWE has the right to bring the SmackDown series to any broadcast network that wants to pick it up, but contractually would only be able to bring the series to a cable network that was not part of the NBC Universal family.

Due to the fact that MyNetworkTV is a step down from The CW in terms of network prestige (it's the lowest rated network), WWE expects to lose money from their new "rights fees" agreement.

 

[HHHforever]

Source: The Associated Press

So no, this isn't Vince pulling out so he can get a Thursday night slot to compete with TNA, this is WWE being reduced to two brands unless they find another network for Smackdown.

Smackdown conitinually crushes TNA in ratings so I'm sure the WWE wasn't thinking about switching to Thursday's because of that reason. However I can't see them having much of an issue finding a network with a show that consistently scores a 2.7 or so rating and I still contend that, that rating would go up to a 3 if not higher if they would just go live, but that's another issue. Anyway I still look for NBC/USA to pick it up or possibly Bravo. I'm really not to concerned about them finding a network.