Why Do People Not Watch SmackDown?

[Schizophrenic]

I just don't get it. I have been reading some comments from others in different threads and what I see alot is that people saying they don't watch SmackDown and just read the spoilers. WHAT?!! Why are people not watching the best WWE show around? I know people are going to try and tell me I'm crazy and that RAW is the better show but when you compare CM Punk's society, Rey Mysterio, a great mid card and world title division to RAW's guest hosts sucking up alot of time, non existant mid card aside from Miz and Kofi and it becoming the John Cena & DX variety hour it's no comparison. I jsut don't get why people will not watch but just read the spoilers. Some one please explain to me why you don't watch? I understand in the US it's on Friday nights but most people have DVR now and they have no reason not to miss it. I enjoy RAW sometimes but I have not watched a full episode in months, meanwhile my DVR is about 50% full of SmackDown episodes. Makes me wonder if WWE's fan base is really as good as people make it out to be or if RAW was taped people would just read the spoilers and not watch it either.

 

[SpoodBeest]

Well for me the reason for this can be contributed to two major flaws of the show itself. The first being the fact that it's not live. While the second being that SmackDown is broadcasted on a Friday night.

So let's go over why I would consider these to be flaws in the show's design. Well, firstly the fact that it isn't live kind of lowers interest in the show itself. There arn't any chances of surprises and such that would come out of a normal live broadcast of a show. I'm sure RAW has had more suprises and memorable moments than SmackDown, simply on the fact that it's live television.

The second issue is it's on Friday nights. The thing is most fans probably want to do better stuff at 8PM on a Friday night than watch WWE programming. It's the honest truth. I miss SmackDown almost every week because i'm usually out on Friday nights. I'm sure many other fans are too.

Then the two issues come together in one big issue. Since fans don't have the same interest in SmackDown, that a live show provides for them, and since they want to spend their Friday nights doing other things. They simply read spoilers given to them by many "Wrestling News Sites" such as our very own Wrestlezone. They then read the spoiler and go "ok now I know what's gonna happen".

These are the reasons that SmackDown isn't watched as much as it should be. If it were live and on a better night, i'm positive it would get a far better audience than it does at this current point in time.

 

[klunderbunker]

It's on Friday. People go out on Fridays more than any other night of the week. Almost no other shows do anything on Friday. Think back to the 90s and TGIF on ABC: it was a block of comedies directed at kids. Kids who couldn't go out. I tend to be with my friends on Fridays. Also like was said, it's not live. I can easily find out what happened 72 hours in advance. Why watch live when I might not be able to? If I can see it then I watch but otherwise I don't care enough.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

Ahh, KB took one of the things I was about to post. As KB said, more people go out on Friday nights than any other night of the week. Friday is one of the weakest nights of the week for television overall. The fact that SD! isn't live is also a fctor to some as they can find out what happened online.

I think another reason why it isn't watched is that not as many people get MyNetworkTV. Before Smackdown's switch to that network, it was generally drawing pretty close to a 3. Since it's been on MNTV, it's drawn usually around a 1.8 most of the time. However, for the past few months, the show's typically been drawing around a 2.1. For reasons I'm not entirely sure of WTVQ, a station out of Lexington and ABC affiliate, airs Friday's episodes of SD! on Saturday nights at 11:35 pm as nobody that I know, not friends, family members or even casual aquaintances has MNTV.

 

[The Doctor]

Basically, what Jack-Hammer said. I would watch Smackdown if I got the channel upstairs, but I only get it downstairs and the downstairs TV is always in use at the time SD comes on. Instead, I have to catch it on Hulu or YouTube after the show is over. Smackdown is the best WWE show on TV now that ECW is ending, and I wish I could watch it live.

I don't believe it's a dislike of the show that prevents people from watching but a combination of not having the channel and being busy at the time it comes on. If they can't watch it, reading the spoilers is the next best thing.

 

[Davi323]

For me, its a much simpler reason. My local affliate refuses to broadcast MyNetworkTV in HD. When you have an HDTV, have HD programming from your cable provider, and get used to watching pretty much everything in HD, its HARD to watch something not in HD. Smackdown should be in HD, but for the laziness/cheapness of the local network that broadcasts it on a digital subchannel. It just looks horrible.

Well, that and the first hour of Smackdown conflicts with Smallville...lol

 

[Jeffingb3oh3]

It's because people like to go out and do things on Friday's. People can just as easily get on youtube when they have a spare of the moment, and watch the entire show, and they also post spoilers since the show is not live. This show actually gets really good results of people watching it, and it is ranked the most number one watched show on all of friday nights, which to me is amazing.

 

[legendkiller420]

imo smackdown is stale they have superstars that are stale imo like r truth , john morrison,kane,drew mcintyre,matt hardy and the announce team and im sure they're are more i just can't think of them right now but that could be a reason. another reason could be that friday is the night that alot of people go out another reason could be that they read spoilers online so they do not feel the need to watch smackdown beacsuse they already know whats gonna happen. all of the reasons listed above could be reasons why but i think the real reason is that smackdown is stale

the only interesting thing the got going for them is cm punk thats all i can really think of another wrestlier who is stale is the undertaker i think he needs to turn heel go back to american bad ass or just retire already!

 

[makeitvab]

I have the same problem Doc has, We only have cable downstairs *living with gf, her mother, and 19 yr old brother* and its usually not a big deal as gf and I tend to just play games or watch dvd/blu rays...but come friday 8-10 pm her mom is usually on the tv.

She might be re-watching a reality show marathon she's seen 5x, but atm i'm unemployed and am not going to be a dick to kick the woman letting me live with her off the tv to catch a taped show i can watch online later

It's not only the best WWE show atm, but best national wrestling show imo. I enjoy TNA's PPV ( i have every tna ppv dvd from 2004-2009) but I can not fucking stand to watch Impact on a regular basis.

Smackdown I read spoilers and then watch on hulu, Impact I read spoilers and if it sounds like a kickass show, I watch as it airs.

 

[GIMH]

Here in the UK I believe Smackdown draws more viewers than Raw, because obviously it's not aired in the sleepslot. Friday night is no problem for me as I have shared custody of three little girls which sees me in more often than not on a Friday. 10pm it airs here and it's the highlight of my week. Kid bro watches Raw much more though - I think part of the answer is simply that Raw is the flagship, so it's the one people want to watch.

 

[spiketbear]

I catch Smackdown on my DVR or Hulu.com every week. I enjoy the wrestling, the young and small guys getting a chance to shine and even the women's division more than Raw.

Raw is full of horrible comedy segments and mega stars holding down the young guys. It's full of steroid freaks continually defeating small guys. Everything about Raw is cringworthy unless Jericho goes there.

 

[SexandWrestling]

I catch Smackdown on my DVR or Hulu.com every week. I enjoy the wrestling, the young and small guys getting a chance to shine and even the women's division more than Raw.

Raw is full of horrible comedy segments and mega stars holding down the young guys. It's full of steroid freaks continually defeating small guys. Everything about Raw is cringworthy unless Jericho goes there.

I just watch it on my DVR and catch it usually sometime on Friday night or the weekend...I gotta be truthful though...Without CM Punk and the Straight-Edge society, there really isn't much that says "I gotta watch this shit as soon as possible" on Smackdown (or WWE in general for that matter).

 

[Dagger Dias]

Well, I make it a point to catch Smackdown every single week. For those that don't.... it's for a couple of reasons. The spoilers are the primary reason. "Why watch something when I can just read the results?" is a common argument. My former roommate even used it. My response to that is don't read the spoilers unless you know you'll miss Smackdown. That makes it semi-live and you'll enjoy it even more, part of why I like it more than Raw. The secondary reason is that it's on a bad channel. Nowhere near as bad as the channel Superstars is on.... but some people don't get MyNetworkTV, and thus are unable to watch Smackdown. So while the spoilers are the main reason people don't watch, others don't watch it because they simply can't.

 

[Rhonda Rousey's Sports Bra]

Reasons I don't watch Smackdown:

1) Friday is a party night.
2) The current champ Undertaker doesn't talk and takes forever to get in the ring so it can get boring.
3) Raw was around first so it has a certain feel to it that it's a better show.
4) Smackdown seems more like a G show than a PG show.
5) The undercard always seems to have the guys that are new and just starting out so I haven't started to like them yet.
6) The announce team isn't as good as Raw ecspecially before JR went to Smackdown.
7) It's taped so there are no huge suprises like on Raw.
8) Vince makes it his B show so he doesn't do as many great storylines he saves them for Raw.
9) Teddy Long and Vickie Guerrero annoy me when they speak.
10) The World Heavyweight Title is the same belt that David Arquette had around his waist!

The best thing Smackdown has going for it is John Cena being on Raw.

 

[Triple K]

Well, I don't watch it unless I'm doing nothing else. Normally I'm with my friends and my girlfriend on Friday night, because that's what teenagers do. I would watch it, but I read the spoilers anyway, because I always have stuff to do. If Smackdown went back to Thursdays, I would watch it because I never do anything on Thursday except watch South Park, Demetri Martin, and Sarah Silverman. I have nothing to do on Wednesday either, except watch South Park and Tosh.0. If it were any other night, I would have the time, and I would watch it. Why do you think everybody watches Raw? It's live, it's on a night where nothing else is on TV, and it's on a night where nobody is going out and doing anything from 9 to 11 because they have school or have to work.

 

[GenMe]

Well i sometimes watch SD,And when i watch it is when i dont have nothing to do,And plus its Friday come on dont tell me that you dont go out on fridays.Thats why maybe some of the WWE fans dont watch SD,SD should be move to wednesday.Also if i try to watch SD my fucking Channel sucks.I have Direct TV HD but the Local Channels in here Beaumont,TX they suck.

 

[J.Diesel]

I sometimes watch smackdown when it airs on a Friday night. Smackdown to me is the better show with superstars I really enjoy watching. Especially right now with CM Punk and the straightedge society and wondering who will be the next one to join. But if I don't catch Smackdown its usually because it is on Friday night at 8 when I usually go out. I don't know anything about DVR so if I dont watch it when it airs I catch whatever I can on YouTube. Maybe an idea would be move Smackdown back to Thursday nights where it started once iMpact goes to mondays. And put Superstars on a Saturday either in the morning or the evening. Like when we had WWE programming on Saturday mornings and WCW Saturday night on in the 90's.

 

[Zigglerfan227]

well I watch smackdown. I have no where to go on Friday nights and i really enjoy Smackdown. Its the best there is. As you said, the midcard is great, they got CM Punk and his gang of idiots, The undertaker, and awesome matches!!

 

[Undertaker the 5th]

My personal reasons:
I personally watch Smackdown when ever I remember it's on because I always check the spoilers before hand and it makes me forget about the show itself. Plus its not live, like a lot of people said, it takes away the emotion that you are watching something live. I used to like it a lot more until I discovered it was pre-taped.
Other reasons:
The channel that its on doesn't air in the hole United States.
The best they have is CM Punk and the Undertaker. I'm talking poplarity wise. Chris Jericho also but mostly the IWC loves him not much the general public.
They have people like Drew Mcyntire that suck the energy and exitement right out.
It's on Friday night theatre or party night.

 

[Kenny Powers]

Smackdown needs to be on a larger network so more people can watch it. I don't have MyNetwork TV and a lot of people out there with satellite or even digital cable don't get it. I got Smackdown when it was on The WB or now know as the CW Network.

I think I had with digital cable a few years back before I went to satellite, but I could never find the channel. It was like one of those 900 channels you don't know you have and can't find. I would watch it if I could find it or if it was available to me.

 

[Zeedeevel]

I honestly wish I had the time to watch Sd but I happen to work at a roller rink as a side job and its actually a very popular place on friday nights. If I see something in the spoilers that I like, I will watch it because I have no problem watching something even if I know the results. Like many others though, if it were on a different night of the week I would be able to watch it

 

[Trill Co$by]

I have satellite, and I get it every Friday night.... twice. You really just have to look for it, cuz i once thought i didn't get it either.

Anyway, I always watch Smackdown, and in my opinion it is the best of the three shows right now. And it has been for the past 4 years or so. I like the way the smackdown booking staff is thinking.

 

[omorris]

Like Most have commented, If you go on the websites Tuesady night after 11pm you get the spoilers and you know what's going to happen ahead of time. From reading the spoilers, I kind of decide wether or not I will watch it on Friday night. Also what I have found out is you can pretty much watch smackdown on Youtube at about noon on Friday and catch it early. The WWE should probably go live on Friday nights. I do believe it's the better show but the in alot of ways the Internet is hurting the Smackdown Ratings.

 

[The Bearded One]

The main reason I don't watch Smackdown is because I can't. I don't get MyNetwork, but my Fox station would play it at 1 a.m. So I would DVR and watch it whenever I got some time. But then they replaecd Smackdown with re-runs for That 70's Show. So Smackdown doesn't even come on in my area. So I can't watch it even if I wanted to.

 

[XgringolocoX]

I do watch smackdown...but on Hulu.com. Same with Impact...when i do watch. I like that I can fast foward if I need, or pause during a good match to get another beer.
SD is almost always the better show. I actually liked ECW (minus Abe's crappy talk) beacuse it was mostly wrestling.
But for the massses it's hard to watch a show friday night...it's the weekend afterall. Folks tend to go out more, or have friends over who might not like wrestling.