MyNetworkTV CROWNS WWE ITS NEW PROGRAMMING CHAMP February 26,2008 Network Is the Exclusive Prime-Time Broadcast Home of WWE SmackDown Beginning Fall 2008
NEW YORK MyNetworkTV and World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) have announced a new broadcast television home for WWE SmackDown, scheduled to debut in Fall 2008. The announcement was jointly made by MyNetworkTV President, Greg Meidel and WWE Chairman of the Board Vincent K. McMahon.
In making the announcement, Meidel stated, The momentum at MyNetworkTV continues with this major acquisition. We have demonstrated tremendous growth and this partnership with WWE, the premier sports entertainment franchise in the world is a perfect fit for our viewers, advertisers and affiliates.
The two-hour television program will be presented weekly on MyNetworkTV. WWE SmackDown will feature a star-studded cast of WWE Superstars, including Edge, Rey Mysterio, Batista, MVP, Kane and Undertaker, as well as present all the action, excitement, drama and great athleticism that have made it for nine years one of the most popular programs among males on broadcast television, and one of the top ten English language prime time programs among Hispanic households.
WWE Chairman Vince McMahon added, We are excited to add MyNetworkTV and its television affiliates to our family of global network partners. We have an unmatched record of delivering ratings success to each and every network partner weve worked with in our long and storied history. We fully intend to bring that same level of success to MyNetworkTV.
About MyNetworkTV MyNetworkTV is a primetime general entertainment broadcast television network. Reaching over 97% of the country and targeted to Adults 18-49, MyNetworkTV provides its affiliates 12 hours of diverse programming Monday through Saturday, including Celebrity Expos, Langley Productions Jail and Street Patrol and debuting in Spring 2008, Under One Roof starring Flavor Flav. For more information, please visit www.mynetworktv.com.
About World Wrestling Entertainment The WWE produces original weekly programming, 52 weeks per year, distributed domestically, internationally and via WWE.com. WWE programs reach more than 16 million total viewers during the average week. Our domestic cable and broadcast programs include Monday Night RAW and A.M. RAW on USA Network and ECW: Extreme Championship Wrestling on the Sci Fi Channel. WWEs television programming can also be seen in more than 130 countries around the world on broadcast partners including BSkyB in the UK and Foxtel in Australia.
Additional information on World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. (NYSE: WWE) can be found at wwe.com and corporate.wwe.com. For information on our global activities, go to http://www.wwe.com/worldwide/.
I guess they're going to get propped up and stay alive after all. Suck it, IFL!
Strangely (or maybe not), this'll put them back on the channel they LEFT two years ago in my market.
Originally posted by CRZStrangely (or maybe not), this'll put them back on the channel they LEFT two years ago in my market.
(edited by CRZ on 26.2.08 0935)
(edited by CRZ on 26.2.08 0936)
Same here. And I'll still have to watch the show through a transmitter than makes the channel appear to broadcast through a gauze filter. I've got VHS tapes with better clarity than the local UPN/WB/CW/My channels.
"To be the man, you gotta beat demands." -- The Lovely Mrs. Tracker
It's true also in Chicago. CW seems to have grabbed mostly ex-WBers, so this is pseudo-return to UPN.
Note they don't state which day SmackDown! will be on. I bet they could talk MyNetworkTV into live broadcasts on Tuesday if that's what WWE wants to do.
Originally posted by PeterStorkWhat a step down for the company.
Really? I think it's a lateral move at worst.
Originally posted by thecubsfanNote they don't state which day SmackDown! will be on.
Ooh, good catch. My money's on Thursday. I can't see them moving the ECW hour AND they can throw wrenches at TNA's plans to go live on Thursdays (they're still planning to do that, right?)
I don't know if this is true in all markets, but in Chicago the MyNetwork affiliate is close to and cross promotes with the Fox affiliate. If this is something that goes on in more places I wonder if this could allow for eventual dealings with Fox again.
Originally posted by spfI don't know if this is true in all markets, but in Chicago the MyNetwork affiliate is close to and cross promotes with the Fox affiliate. If this is something that goes on in more places I wonder if this could allow for eventual dealings with Fox again.
I read in the Milwaukee JS online that they were owned by the same parent company. If so, that would seem to be the desired next step.
Originally posted by CRZStrangely (or maybe not), this'll put them back on the channel they LEFT two years ago in my market.
(edited by CRZ on 26.2.08 0935)
(edited by CRZ on 26.2.08 0936)
Same here. And I'll still have to watch the show through a transmitter than makes the channel appear to broadcast through a gauze filter. I've got VHS tapes with better clarity than the local UPN/WB/CW/My channels.
Me as well, though I've got the opposite of you. The WB/CW affiliate in Green Bay never came in for me, whereas the UPN/MyN affiliate is fine. So I'll get to see Smackdown for the first time since they moved.
MyNetwork was basically created by FOX so that they'd have something to put on all their stations that didn't have an affiliation after the UPN/WB merger.
Originally posted by PeterStorkWhat a step down for the company.
Really? I think it's a lateral move at worst.
Admittedly the common person might not have the same view on TV networks - especially the wanna be ones like the CW and MyNetworkTV - that many of us do, but I'd say that going from a network with 12+ years of history to draw from (sort of) and a stable of decently performing and well-known series to a very new, upstart operation that a lot of people don't even know is a network (rather than just branding of the local independent station) is not that great.
Plus the station lineup cannot be as strong. They have the same percentage of penetration nationwide and a similar number of affiliates, but it seems that in most markets after the merger CW got the better station and MyNetwork was stuck with the leftovers. That's certainly not the case across the board (and there are areas where you'll get MyNetwork and not The CW, I'm sure) but in most places - including a lot of big cities - you have stations with better signals and a stronger reputation (and even sometimes their own news operation, not just one produced by another local station) running The CW.
"But, Peter, wresting fans will find Smackdown no matter where it airs."
True, but this is also about the ability for new fans to find it, as well - and it's about the level of respect for the show. This just has to be seen by many in the TV industry as downward slide. It's not like going from NBC or CBS down to The CW, but it's not good.
The flip side, of course, is money (if the licensing deal nets the Fed more cash) and the ability to be branded as the top show on the network. The CW didn't care as much about WWE because it didn't fit in with the Gilmore Girls/Smallville/Gossip Girl et cetera vibe that it rode. MyNetworkTV being sort of a wild west for programming can admittedly mold itself more in the Smackdown model and give the program a more prominent place on the slate. Whether that beats being on The CW's lineup of stations is the question.
This pretty much a lateral move for me, as I've got both CW (in HD!) and MyNTV (in HD!). I was getting a little concerned when I saw some talk of WGN as a possible home, so I'm glad MyNTV was the winner.
I agree with PeterStork that moving from CW to MNT will be viewed as a step down in the eyes of most people (myself included), but I get good reception on both channels so I'm ok with it. I also hope they move back to Thursdays since I never got used to them being on Fridays anyway.
Originally posted by spfI don't know if this is true in all markets, but in Chicago the MyNetwork affiliate is close to and cross promotes with the Fox affiliate. If this is something that goes on in more places I wonder if this could allow for eventual dealings with Fox again.
Here in the DC market, MyNetwork used to be the UPN station and it is owned by the Fox affiliate. They always cross promote as well.
So, just like other areas, it's going back to the old channel here.
Well, there goes WWE in HD for me. MyNet is the only local channel that Charter doesn't carry in HD. (Even independent station KCAL, which has no HD programming other than the news, is carried in HD.)
I suppose I could hook up an HD antenna, but I'm far too lazy (and don't even watch Smackdown enough) to justify it.
I think while it sounds like a great idea for them to move SD back to Thursday to face off against Impact, why not keep it in Friday, and have more of a base to pull in ratings? Thursday already has ratings magnets like Grey's Anatomy, CSI, Survivor, Earl/Office/30 Rock, while Friday isn't that strong a night programming wise. Grey's may be a bad example demographicwise, but I think you get my point.
Keep it on Friday night, let TNA continue to pull in it's 1.x ratings, and have a stronger audience to be able to tune in Fridays.
I have My Net TV, so it works for me, HD or no HD.
Originally posted by Packman V2I think while it sounds like a great idea for them to move SD back to Thursday to face off against Impact, why not keep it in Friday, and have more of a base to pull in ratings? Thursday already has ratings magnets like Grey's Anatomy, CSI, Survivor, Earl/Office/30 Rock, while Friday isn't that strong a night programming wise. Grey's may be a bad example demographicwise, but I think you get my point.
Keep it on Friday night, let TNA continue to pull in it's 1.x ratings, and have a stronger audience to be able to tune in Fridays.
I have My Net TV, so it works for me, HD or no HD.
I always thought Friday night was a crappy night for a wrestling show. Maybe it is better for little kids because they can stay up and watch it, but shouldn't most people in the WWE's target demographic have other things happening on Friday? Monday-Thursday seem like the best nights to run a wrestling show.
In Boston, the situation is a little different. After the CW merger, the UPN station (WSBK) basically said "screw all y'all, we're going independent". The station that ended up picking up the MyTV affiliation is out of Derry, NH, and they're the very definition of bush league. Their transmitter seems to have been made out of tinfoil and D-cell batteries, and their digital signal (which apparently is 480i-only) doesn't reach anywhere near Boston. Also, they have the most annoying weatherman ever. WORSE THAN ROKER.
So yeah, it'll be a step down 'round these parts. A BIG one.
(edited by ironcladlou on 27.2.08 0020)
"I could drown the pain, and drink upon commuter trains, and here you stand in eastern standard time" - Mike Doughty
Something's going to obviously happen next week. VKM is going to come in, either suspend Kane or fire him. It's inevitable. It WILL turn into austin Mcmahon III with Kane taking the place of austin. You heard it here first, fellow hotdogs...err..