WWE Frustrated Over Poor SD Ratings

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WWE Frustrated Over Poor SD Ratings, Blames MyNetworkTV
Written by Tim Brown on June 03, 2009 at 14:14:36
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Source: PWInsider.com

There is some internal frustration within WWE regarding the poor SmackDown ratings as of late, especially because the company’s Friday night show is generally regarded as a higher-quality show than RAW as far as the wrestling is concerned.

One of the two factors being blamed for SmackDown’s low viewership is the fact that RAW is suffering right now. WWE’s research leads them to believe that a large portion of their audience only watches wrestling on Mondays now, and judges the entire company’s product based off that one show despite SmackDown being a completel 180 degrees different from RAW. Vince has been strict about wanting his three main shows (RAW, ECW and SD) to all have different feels to them, with RAW being the sports-entertainment variety show and SmackDown being the wrestling show.

The second factor being blamed for the poor ratings is the fact that SmackDown airs on MyNetworkTV. The network is in pretty rough shape right now, and starting next year the only new show on the entire channel will be SmackDown and everything else will be repeats of other shows from other networks.

What the WWE really need to do is make a few simple changes and SD would hit 3s almost every week.

1. Get SmackDown! on another channel, Spike or USA would be fine
2. Move it to a Wednesday, with only one day between taping and airing it would stop more people from reading spoilers
3. Make sure your target audiance (America) are NOT the last English speaking nation in the World to actually see it
4. Americans can see it on YouTube up to Seventeen hours BEFORE it 'airs live' in America
5. Friday Night will never be a 'ratings winner' anywhere in the world

I agree they need to get on another channel and of the graveyard shift they could even air it live at sometime in the future.

Doubt it will ever be live to be honest, the occasional one maybe but not so sure they will ever have it live fulltime, JR himself has just said that too

one thing they definitly need to do is stop it leaking on the net so everyone can download it or watch on yousportz they also have top move to a better station which gets more viewers than mynetwork

i dont get how raw gets more viewers when Smackdown is the best WWE show at the moment probably cos of the station its on

The only reason RAW gets more viewers is because Monday is considered 'wrestling night' as its been on Monday's for near on 20 years

Friday is the night most people go out, and MyNetwork is available for only 40% of people who can get USA

I understand Vince wants SD to be terrestrial but he really needs to convince NBC to give it a go on a prime-time slot

Also, its almost impossible to stop it being put on the net, particularly when its already aired to the majority of the world before America gets it

I agree with all of your points. I never watch smackdown because A. I don't have mynetworktv
and B. Its on friday nights.
If those were to change, i'd watch it as often as i watch raw or tna.

How well does Smackdown do compared to Raw in the UK?

Doomhammer wrote:

I agree with all of your points. I never watch smackdown because A. I don't have mynetworktv
and B. Its on friday nights.
If those were to change, i'd watch it as often as i watch raw or tna.

(I thanked you for some reason their, don't know how to undo it)

Also Doom, America is the last English speaking nation in the World that gets SmackDown!, and when your target audiance is America then thats bad business sense

surely a nice big jericho edge fued would sort people out.

it must be bloody annoying though as they are putting on the best show every week