WWE Announces New Television Show To Air Wednesdays On Broadcast TV

[Dale]

[SUP]

[/SUP]ION TELEVISION DEBUTS WWE MAIN EVENT

STAMFORD, Conn., June 25, 2012 - WWE (NYSE: WWE) and ION Television today announced a new weekly one-hour original series airing on Wednesday nights at 8/7C. WWE Main Event will debut on October 3, 2012, and feature WWE Superstars and Divas from the rosters of Monday Night Raw and Friday Night SmackDown. The new show will be available in 100 million U.S. television households on ION Television, a top-rated general entertainment network that features a broad mix of critically acclaimed series, movies and original programming.

"ION Television is delighted to begin a new partnership with such a successful and well-recognized franchise as WWE," said Brandon Burgess, CEO, ION Media Networks. "As a general entertainment network with a solid foundation, WWE Main Event is a great addition to our lineup that features something for everyone. We look forward to introducing our ION audience to all of the excitement and drama WWE has to offer as well as welcoming a passionate new fan base to the network."

"WWE looks forward to this new partnership with ION Television," said Vince McMahon, WWE Chairman and CEO. "We are excited about producing this new television show, WWE Main Event, and bringing our fans to ION Television every Wednesday."

WWE Main Event will feature in-ring action and fit seamlessly in storylines from Monday Night Raw and Friday Night SmackDown, making Wednesday night appointment viewing for fans. The new series will offer a big arena experience with live audiences like current WWE weekly programs.

I'm sure it'll just end up being like Superstars is now. Start with a few semi high profile guys, then transition into the midcard and lower talents.

 

[Chris]

What's the point of debuting this show so soon to when the Network is supposedly going to be released? Pretty sure this WWE Network won't ever happen at this point. And why can't they just put NXT on TV?

 

[Kiffy Lube]

If it's a show like Superstars it won't hurt anything. I'll see what they do with it before I tune in, though. WWE has decades upon decades of footage for the network, the last thing I'd be worried about is them debuting another show for undercard guys that will probably be scratched after a while anyways.

 

[SAIYANS]

Cool to have wwe back on free to air / broadcast tv. It isn't as big as MyTv or the CW, but it gives non cable guys a chance to watch. That said I'm kinda shocked Ion took the show as their only current running series with new episodes of any kind is Flashpoint. still this was probably easier to sell off than Superstars or NXT after they bombed

So if the show holds out wwe will have cable, broadcast, and premium (the network is supposed to be like HBO) channels and programming for viewers

 

[Tapout]

Um...Why the hell didn't NXT get this time spot? I'm way more interested in that then another "Superstars" fail...

 

[SAIYANS]

Um...Why the hell didn't NXT get this time spot? I'm way more interested in that then another "Superstars" fail...

Would you pick up a show that hasn't been marketed before or one that has flopped before off cable tv? That is the main problem to me with nxt and Superstars, they outright flopped off cable and a super station. It would be easier to buy a fledgling show with wwe talent if I'm an exec than taking the other two shows

 

[The Cork]

Would be a bit weird if it was like Superstars, and the show has matches like Derick Bateman vs Brodus Clay and Usos v Heath Slater & Otunga.

It's called 'Main Event' so I kinda expect big matches lol.

 

[Chris]

I bet it has some big matches at least at first. But then again, so did Superstars when it first started.

 

[We Are Legion]

It's just the next incarnation of HeAT, Jakked, Shotgun, ECW, Superstars, etc. It no doubt won't last long, much like none of the other shows did, but it will help WWE build an alliance with a new network. I doubt WWE is under any delusions that the show will be a smash hit considering they've tried a 3rd show several times over, but you never know how this new partnership will help either company in the future.

However, I've never heard if this network and they definitely seem to be getting the better end of this deal. I don't really care about it not being NXT because we get NXT here on The Score anyways.

 

[Kiffy Lube]

I don't even remember if I have ION on my cable provider anymore. They used to just show older sitcoms they were able to syndicate and that was it.

 

[SAIYANS]

Well Flashpoint is their only original sitcom as they bought the rights from CBS two seasons ago and kept producing it. It is also their highest rated program which is why they host a marathon of it every Sunday, entitled "Team One Sundays". Other than that their main shows are Cold Case, Criminal Minds, and Leverage. I have no problem with them personally since I have Dish and they have an Ion East and West so I can catch the show on the west time and not miss anything else

 

[Tapout]

NXT flopped after the Divas, if I'm correct. That was just asking to be killed. WWE committed suicide with that season. I think this current new NXT would be perfect for television.

I get the ION network though, so I'll be checking this out. What I want it to be is like an entire hour long devoted to one or two feuds. So like, right now, Punk and Bryan, the show would be all about Punk and Bryans feud.

 

[Troy]

Good move to get another show on television rather than waiting another three years before the Network arrives. This should mean that they dump Superstars and replace it with this show. Hopefully it becomes more like early Superstars with a good mix of stars from top to bottom rather than just being guys that can't make it on RAW and Smackdown. Will probably get close to what Superstars did with ratings so 0.75, basically nearly what Impact gets.

 

[Aniking]

Just sounds like a lazy way for the WWE to further storylines. Instead of looking at the problems they have with Raw and Smackdown, they think up this great idea to create a second Superstars but for main event talent.

Brilliant.

 

[SAIYANS]

To be fair if wwe wanted to keep true to the title of the show, all they would have to do is tape the dark match after Raw and SD tapings, which usually have main event talent. Then they could just voice it over and add in some video packages. They didn't even have to greatly change their production schedule.

They could easily do 3 hour Raw on Monday / tape that dark match for Ion
Then tape Superstars as a a whole before SD and thn SD, and then the dark match for ion.

Or the could cycle the Redemeption cast into this program