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View Full Version : 12/21 SmackDown! airing live on USA, 2 hour Tribute to the Troops 12/22


Xero
12-10-2010, 07:34 PM
From PWInsider:

This coming Monday, USA is leaning on WWE to give them an extra hour of ratings in prime time as Raw will be three hours and the company will present the Slammy Awards. USA is not stopping there however as on the following week WWE programming will be featured in prime time three consecutive evenings on the network.

The buzz at WWE's home offices in Stamford, CT today was that the company's programming will dominate the USA prime time schedule in the week leading up to the Christmas holiday.

In its usual spot, Raw will anchor the evening on 12/20. No big deal there. However, the Christmas Eve edition of Smackdown is going to air live on USA on Tuesday 12/21 from 9 to 11 p.m. This is a brilliant move and will benefit both parties. USA will get an original show that will probably do a better rating in the key demos than their regular programming while WWE will get more eyeballs watching their show. Obviously, a lot fewer people will be watching Smackdown in its normal Friday slot since that is Christmas Eve.

On Wednesday 12/22, a two hour version of the NBC Tribute To The Troops show is slated to air from 8 to 10 p.m.

Xero
12-10-2010, 07:35 PM
I wonder if this is to test the waters of moving SmackDown! to Tuesdays and possibly to USA?

BigCrippyZ
12-10-2010, 08:09 PM
I wonder if this is to test the waters of moving SmackDown! to Tuesdays and possibly to USA?

If so, it's definitely an interesting move by WWE and USA to say the least. Maybe it'll help to bring some new life into Smackdown and help to continue the improvements WWE (and the business in general, hopefully!) have been trying to make the last month or so.

dronepool
12-10-2010, 11:05 PM
Tuesday Night Smackdown Live is the best idea.

parkmania
12-10-2010, 11:21 PM
Wonder how the Syfy people feel about this. Even though both USA and Syfy are owned by the same people, each network is still responsible for itself.

Droford
12-11-2010, 12:00 AM
If SD were to go live it would more than likely have to be on SyFy.

I wonder what SyFy will put in SD's place on Christmas Eve.

BizarroKing
12-11-2010, 12:02 AM
SD! just moved to SyFy it be kind of weird to pull it from the network so soon.

glanville6
12-11-2010, 12:04 AM
So I wonder if NXT will still be taped beforehand that night or go live right after Smackdown on WWE.com...since if Smackdown is going to be live, I see them going 5 minutes or so over since they will be on USA

Xero
12-11-2010, 12:14 AM
It'll either be taped beforehand or they'll move NXT to another day.

Volare
12-11-2010, 12:23 AM
Finally, things getting a tad bit ballsy.

Xero
12-11-2010, 12:24 AM
If SmackDown! does a better number than on SyFy (I'm thinking 2.3+) I'd bet they'll move SD to USA and Tuesdays by February.

Droford
12-11-2010, 12:43 AM
I would think they would move the live date to Thursday instead of it being tuesday.

glanville6
12-11-2010, 01:17 AM
I would think they would move the live date to Thursday instead of it being tuesday.

I think logically it makes sense, seeing as they would perform Thursday-Sunday, but there are a lot of popular shows on Thursday night that might screw with the ratings.

I know there are DVRs and everything...and I guess since its still NBC Universal and must see TV on Thursdays anyway it doesn't really matter...