Smackdown leaving CW.

[highheatkingsb]

WWE PRESS RELEASE REGARDING SMACKDOWN LEAVING CW

courtesy: 1wrestling.com

Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The following statement was issued today by World Wrestling Entertainment. After a successful decade of “SmackDown” on both UPN and The CW, the WWE and The CW have agreed to conclude our partnership. Since The CW’s exclusive negotiation period ran out as of last Thursday, January 31, we have been contacted and have been in negotiations with other networks. “WWE SmackDown” will continue to air on The CW until the conclusion of the 2007-08 broadcast season. We are grateful to Les Moonves, Dawn Ostroff, and their entire organization for bringing “WWE SmackDown” to millions of viewers for so many years.

Update:

Variety speculates the show might end up on USA Network, or possibly on NBC. Another option, according to TVWeek.com might be MyNetworkTV. Smackdown was consistently one of the highest rated programs on CW. No date was announced for the final airing of the show on CW, but the WWE statement said the show will run through the end of the current season.WWE announced tonight that they had broken off talks with the CW network regarding renewal of Smackdown and were in discussions with other networks about continuing the series elsewhere.

[JiggidyJames]

Re: Smackdown leaving CW.

I doubt they get on NBC long term. Maybe if the writer's strike continues, but I haven't been keeping up with that so I don't know. I just can't see a weekly wrestling program on a major network.

What sucks about this is CW is one of the few HD channels I get. If they end up on USA, no more WWE in HD for me.

[MassNole]

Re: Smackdown leaving CW.

NBC would make some sense I think. Looking at NBC's current Friday night lineup I think Smackdown could easily jump right in and pull down decent numbers. Friday Night Lights could move to 8pm EST and Smackdown could be on 9-11pm. I don't think Las Vegas has much time left and has really gone down the crapper since James Caan and Nicki Cox left.

[TJdaSportsGuy]

Re: Smackdown leaving CW.

What sucks about this is CW is one of the few HD channels I get. If they end up on USA, no more WWE in HD for me.

I'm in the same boat you are, although supposedly, we're going to be getting USA HD by the end of the month.

[SPTO]

Re: Smackdown leaving CW.

I read on another board where one guy speculated that it would end up on CNBC which makes sense as that network has the kind of demos that would work for WWE.

It'd be weird but it's not unprecedented.

[EWRMETS]

Re: Smackdown leaving CW.

I read on another board where one guy speculated that it would end up on CNBC which makes sense as that network has the kind of demos that would work for WWE.

It'd be weird but it's not unprecedented.

A business channel is not airing wrestling.

[SPTO]

Re: Smackdown leaving CW.

A business channel is not airing wrestling.

It has happened before the Financial News Network in the early 80s aired Hawaiin/Polynesian wrestling.

[mgoblue]

Re: Smackdown leaving CW.

I'm in the same boat you are, although supposedly, we're going to be getting USA HD by the end of the month.

I'm just watching a little SD just to check out HD wrestling. Ugh. I'm supposed to get more HD channels in early March, so hopefully USA is in there.

[Qb]

Re: Smackdown leaving CW.

I doubt they get on NBC long term. Maybe if the writer's strike continues, but I haven't been keeping up with that so I don't know. I just can't see a weekly wrestling program on a major network.

What sucks about this is CW is one of the few HD channels I get. If they end up on USA, no more WWE in HD for me.

I'm in the same boat you are, although supposedly, we're going to be getting USA HD by the end of the month.

I'm excited as I'm in the opposite boat; I get USA and Sci-Fi in HD, but not CW. Sucks for me now as Smackdown is probably my favorite show, as least for consistency, and my CW signal is analog which looks like crap on my TV.

[TimmeH]

Re: Smackdown leaving CW.

I hate you guys. I don't get any of the WWE shows in HD yet. Damn Charter


As for Smackdown leaving CW...it's an interesting move. I really don't think NBC is an option, I don't think it'd pull in ratings that NBC expects.

I'm guessing USA is the top option, with Sci-Fi & MyTV being alternatives. MyTV would definitely be a downgrade. I wonder if they'll try to go back to Thursday nights, if I recall correctly that was the start of Smackdown's rating going down