Smackdown Leaving MyNetworkTV

[y2js # 1 parasite]

This I feel is great for SD. More people get SyFy than MyNetwork as its been stated. I also read on the main site that NXT is done come the fall as well. While NXT is sometimes interesting and lets face it, it was a good concept, the shows overall aren't great. If WWE is serious, pull Superstars over from WGN as NO ONE gets that channel unless you have satelite. And those ratings are atrocious. Sometimes .8-1.0?

But with Smackdown moving its a great direction. I too always felt Thursday was SD's "home".

 

[Shocky]

No loss for me, considering I can't get my local MyNetwork TV channel without cable regardless. The TV signal is too weak to watch it without cable, so it's no problem with me.

SyFy channel simply works better for the WWE. For those still wondering why SyFy gets the WWE programming, it's a part of the NBC/Universal family. What's that you might ask, well it's the same family of Networks that own USA and Raw, and NBC with the Saturday Night Main Event thing. SyFy simply fits into the plan.

NBC/Universal and the WWE have had a damn strong relationship over the years. Dick Ebersol and Vince McMahon have a great partnership, and both want to see each other succeed.

MyNetwork TV is simply a fledgling network that is going to fail, if it hasn't already. At this point, if you can't afford basic cable to get SyFy channel, then i don't feel sorry for you. Yes, the economy is tough, but you can get basic cable in nearly every market for something ridiculous like 20 dollars a month.

Overall, it's a good move for the WWE. It brings all of their products minus Superstars to the NBC/Universal family. As far as NXT, well NXT sucks, so who gives a shit?

 

[Mr. TM]

Well it appears that the WWE did a good thing here. When I remember that the WWE was moving Smackdown off of CW onto MyNetworkTV, there was a promise that it would move into more households as an up and coming network. But the ratings went down, and less and less people were watching, and listening to all of the American posters talk about it, it is obvious that they just were not getting it.

SyFy seems to do well with promoting WWE from what I have seen. They had Burke and Punk on their show Ghost Hunters when ECW debuted.

It does not affect me at all, as Smackdown doesn't move here in Canada. But it makes me wonder why WWE is doing the move to SyFy, and not to USA. Could the have not gotten the spot there? Makes me wonder also when WWE is supposed to get the WWE channel.

 

[Shocky]

It does not affect me at all, as Smackdown doesn't move here in Canada. But it makes me wonder why WWE is doing the move to SyFy, and not to USA. Could the have not gotten the spot there? Makes me wonder also when WWE is supposed to get the WWE channel.

It's trying to understand the nature of the Multimedia Conglomerate. What's good for SyFy is good for USA. The money is ultimately all going to the same place in the end as they are both owned by the same company.

USA is already the #1 Network in Cable, thanks in large part to the fan base that Monday Night Raw has, and the ability for USA to promote their shows during Raw. Being able to self promote with an ingrown audience of 5 million people, (and the 18-35 male demo is the Holy Grail for advertisment revenue) has made USA what it is. Why add another show with a huge audience that won't let that channel grow.

Enter SyFy, not SciFi. See, NBC/Universal wants to make the SyFy channel more appealing and reach a broader audience. SciFi channel is too nerdish in name, so it only applies to a niche audience in theory. Do what NBC/U did, change the name to SyFy, and all of a sudden it opens itself up to a broader audience. Insert a tent pole show like Smackdown that has the huge audience already built into it with little to no advertising, and walla. NBC/U now has two powerful networks with shows that have huge followings to promote original programming, and increase revenue.

 

[The Scarred One]

As far as I'm concerned, MyNetworkTV has proven to be a failing network from the minute it debuted on television. No matter what they tried to do with it, whether it be American versions of Spanish soap operas or reality based shows, nothing really worked for it. It probably would've went off the air long ago if not for getting SmackDown. Once SmackDown leaves, MyNetworkTV only has reruns of the Unit and Law and Order: Criminal Intent and episodes of Deal or No Deal and Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader.

I think the move to SyFy is a great one. The NBC/Universal family and WWE have established a strong partnership, whether it be WWE programming or shows that feature WWE Superstars like Psych or Ghost Hunters. NBC/Universal has more advertising power when it comes to WWE than MyNetworkTV does. In addition, since its a cable channel and not a broadcast channel, there's more leeway for SmackDown to get a different timeslot rather than the 8-10 pm slot its had since it debuted on UPN more than 10 years ago. Maybe even airing 3-hour editions of SmackDown on occasion much like RAW (if the WWE ever gets past the whole "RAW being the A-Show, thus the superior show" mentality).

 

[CyberPunk]

It's similar to the move in India....now it is shown on Ten Sports which is not available in any basic package .... Want WWE shell out sum money(Given that we don even get the PPV events and they are telecast on Ten Sports a week later)

 

[VintageWWE]

At first when I heard the news I was thinking it was a bad choiceto move SD to cable seeing how many people will not be ableto watch it. However after the original shock of the news I was thinking this move will most definitely benefit the show. My Network TV is a failing network and it doesn't help Smackdown's future to be on that network. I hate how they always preempt SD during baseball season. I wouldn't even mind the preemption as much if they reaired it the next day (and I'm in NYC by the way) but they don't. Do the really expect me to watch the show after a Yankee game and then the local news? That's about 12 when it begins to air. My Network TV has no respect for the WWE even though SD is it number one rated show and they don't deserve to carry the program.

A move to SyFy could help Smackdown as SyFy is available in every area as long as you have cable. SyFy is a part of NBC/Universal and the WWE has a great relation with them. I could imagine SyFy heavily promoting SD and we might be able to see occasional 3 hour Skackdown's. SyFy's demographics surely fit that of the WWE and I would expect a rise in ratings. Recently SD ratings have fell to 1.7-2.0 and that's really bad. I'm sure SD can at least steadily bring in a 2 or better on SyFy.

As for some of you mentioning NXT there is a chance that it will be taken up by Bravo which is another NBC/Universal network. I remember reading that they are in talks to try and come to a deal. If this is true then I can see a growth for the WWE as they are partnering up with a very strong cable nework.

 

[I Suck Ass]

Apparently, ScFy offered $30 million for Smackdown, while MyNetworkTV was paying $20 million for it. So they get $10 million and lose a large amount of viewers? That $10 million can't be worth the number of viewers on free TV. Stupid decision by WWE.

 

[Lyson Rayne]

I don't know if SyFy is the best channel to move to, but it deffinitely beats MyNetworkTv. I get the Philadelphia station and everytime the Phillies play I'm stuck watching on Saturday, or not at all, because they show the game instead with no warning, and a couple of weeks ago while the Great Khali was talking they aired a Phillies commercial during the segment just to come back to Khali walking up the ramp and then more commercials. While not a big segment, it still pissed me off. Plus, alot more people get SyFy, and it has better production value, or at least in my area the color is clearer and brighter

 

[Lyson Rayne]

Apparently, ScFy offered $30 million for Smackdown, while MyNetworkTV was paying $20 million for it. So they get $10 million and lose a large amount of viewers? That $10 million can't be worth the number of viewers on free TV. Stupid decision by WWE.

It's not that large an amount. A lot of cable providers don't even have MyNetworkTV so the new number of available viewers is about equal, or maybe more than before.

 

[Justinxx81]

I was very glad to hear of the move. I hate not being able to watch SD in HD. I will be a nice change

 

[Remy LaCroix]

The WWE is making a mistake here. They need to have at least one show for non-cable viewers. One demographic they are going to loose in is with Hispanics. I don't have any stats to back this up, but I'm pretty sure many Hispanic fans don't have cable.

If you have no stats to back your claim, then I call bullshit 'cause I have cable and you're just racially pigeonholing us. I'd rant on, but this is not the place for this. You're probably misinformed.

This I feel is great for SD. More people get SyFy than MyNetwork as its been stated.

Really? I find it really hard to believe that cable, which one has to pay for, is watched a lot more than regular television, which is free. I was never able to watch anything but Smackdown until I got cable -- and I was too stupid to even consider watching online. Maybe they can air the shows online so people won't watch them on justin.tv and not receive the ratings...well, something like that.

While NXT is sometimes interesting and lets face it, it was a good concept, the shows overall aren't great.

It sounds good on paper and in theory, but they're "rookies", so they don't have any credibility (save for a select few) or familiarity and they flop unless they try really hard to be over -- and yet they still flop. I hardly hear any cheers and I don't blame them for not cheering for people like Slater or Young. Look at Daniel Bryan: credibility, but no familiarity, so he gets less cheers than...well, they hardly get any cheers.

If WWE is serious, pull Superstars over from WGN as NO ONE gets that channel unless you have satelite. And those ratings are atrocious. Sometimes .8-1.0?

Again, really? I have basic cable and I'm able to watch Raw, Smackdown, NXT, and Superstars. I don't know what the deal is with other places not being able to receive MyNetwork or WGN, so they must live in bumfuck nowhere where no one cares to show anything good if they're not a major city (I'm going on a limb that fans in small cities and towns are having trouble, so correct me if I'm wrong).

As for the ratings, the WWE fans really suck 'cause the ratings went down for Raw when the Raw superstars weren't there. Yeah, that really shows how dedicated the fans really are. Besides, NXT and WWECW received about the same ratings as Superstars, so when Smackdown moves to SyFy, the ratings might take a hit 'cause a big chunk of fans don't give a damn about anything that isn't on the flagship show.


Anyway, as people can read in my paragraphs above, I'm not a fan of Smackdown leaving MyNetwork.