View Full Version : MyNetworkTV picks up SmackDown!.
From PWInsider:
WWE sent out the following press release this morning. This will be bad news for a lot of people who don't get the MNTV affiliate.
MyNetworkTV CROWNS WWE ITS NEW PROGRAMMING CHAMP
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 we’ve worked with in our long and storied history. We fully intend to bring that same level of success to MyNetworkTV.”
Ninti the Mad
02-26-2008, 10:57 AM
lol I've never even heard of this channel apart from the Smackdown TV rumours awhile back
What a bunch of dumbasses.
Kane Knight
02-26-2008, 11:07 AM
lol I've never even heard of this channel apart from the Smackdown TV rumours awhile back
What a bunch of dumbasses.
To be fair, the main reason you haven't heard of them is because they're what WB/UPN affiliates became if they didn't become a CW affiliate in a city with more than one.
Still, this is probably a smart move for MyNetwork TV and a dumb move (or the only move) for WWE.
Afterlife
02-26-2008, 11:36 AM
How is this a "dumb move"? If this takes off, then WWE can get (or at least take) credit for the next growth spurt in the network's markets. In that event, not only has the network benefitted from the deal, but it's a major boost in WWE marketability as a desirable investment.
Kane Knight
02-26-2008, 12:03 PM
How is this a "dumb move"? If this takes off, then WWE can get (or at least take) credit for the next growth spurt in the network's markets. In that event, not only has the network benefitted from the deal, but it's a major boost in WWE marketability as a desirable investment.
I can see a few arguments for dumb move:
Size: MNTV is apparently not a very widely received network. That means fewer viewers on a regular basis, even if people want to tune in.
Name value: With fewer markets and fewer viewers, it makes it unlikely that they're exactly going to pack in new viewers.
Your hypothesis: Your belief that this could benefit both companies is nice, but assumes that there will be growth on a primarily syndication-oriented network, and that WWE gets enough viewers to count it as a benefit and gains marketability. If it fails to do all of the above, which is a fairly likely scenario (Not guaranteed, mind), then it does far more damage than the potential payoff could afford.
They chose just about the smallest network they could. CW was far from epic, but it carried more weight.
SammyG
02-26-2008, 12:34 PM
Never heard of this channel, do not geti t.
I hope numbers are low and they find someone else soon. Even though SD! has sucked lately sometimes they have some good stuff. They should have went with Tribune.
KingofOldSchool
02-26-2008, 12:45 PM
I realized like a week ago the MyNetworkTV is on the same channel that UPN was on around here.
So yay for me I guess.
That's pretty much what they did, CW took one station and if you also had a UPN affiliate in the area you also go the MyNetwork.
Ruien
02-26-2008, 12:53 PM
.... MVP needs to get traded to eithier ECW or Raw now.
RGWhat316
02-26-2008, 12:57 PM
Well this is a different move. I already know I'll be getting lots of pre-emptions in the Detroit area since MyNetwork is one of the top channels for Pistons games. Especially on Friday nights.
Kane Knight
02-26-2008, 05:19 PM
That's pretty much what they did, CW took one station and if you also had a UPN affiliate in the area you also go the MyNetwork.
*ahem*
To be fair, the main reason you haven't heard of them is because they're what WB/UPN affiliates became if they didn't become a CW affiliate in a city with more than one.
Still, this is probably a smart move for MyNetwork TV and a dumb move (or the only move) for WWE.
Never heard of this channel, do not geti t.
Most people won't. And that's the problem.
Londoner
02-26-2008, 05:28 PM
Most people won't. And that's the problem.
Exactly my thoughts, and fucking typical of Vince to chose the most moronic option he could've chosen.
Azriel
02-26-2008, 05:45 PM
So, they're kinda back were they started
Halbowsky
02-26-2008, 06:06 PM
I just hope they move back to Thursday nights so it frees up my Friday nights (yes, I have no life but to stay home, watch wrestling & play video games)
Kane Knight
02-26-2008, 07:11 PM
Most people won't. And that's the problem.
Exactly my thoughts, and fucking typical of Vince to chose the most moronic option he could've chosen.
Well, I'm not sure they exactly had a lot of networks knocking down their doors. I mean, I don't know, but with their ratings, I'm betting they probably job to reruns of Jeopardy! and shit.
So anyway, it may not have been their first choice. However, the product being so shitty people don't watch is still Vince's fault, so it's hardly like this takes him off the hook.
They should have picked the Network that used to air Hercules and Xena.
Kane Knight
02-26-2008, 08:47 PM
Which one was that?
Tribune/WGN. One of the contenders for Smackdown!. They always had the Chicago bulls game when I was growing up and Xena, Hercules, The Beast Master etc.
Kane Knight
02-26-2008, 10:27 PM
Tribune/WGN. One of the contenders for Smackdown!. They always had the Chicago bulls game when I was growing up and Xena, Hercules, The Beast Master etc.
Correct me if I'm wrong, because I may be missing something, but WGN is a CW affiliate, isn't it?
Correct me if I'm wrong, because I may be missing something, but WGN is a CW affiliate, isn't it?
Quick research says thats true but it is stated in this article that MyNetworkTV and Tribune were vying for Smackdown!.
http://www.tvweek.com/news/2008/02/smackdown_cuts_contenders_to_t.php
Xerzes
02-27-2008, 02:00 AM
No one will see it.
Kane Knight
02-27-2008, 08:34 AM
Quick research says thats true but it is stated in this article that MyNetworkTV and Tribune were vying for Smackdown!.
http://www.tvweek.com/news/2008/02/smackdown_cuts_contenders_to_t.php
Tribune is a part of the CW network, so that all seems ridiculously unlikely.
In any event, Tribune only has like 19 stations nationwide. I think even MyNetworkTv has more than that available.
No one will see it.
Well, then, it won't be much different than now, now would it?
The Mackem
02-27-2008, 09:54 AM
Ummm so when are they going to improve Smackdown? Sounds like the potential viewership is ever decreasing.
Mr. Nerfect
02-27-2008, 04:17 PM
Idealistically, USA or even Fox would have been ideal homes for SmackDown!, but I assume that MyNetworkTV (which, in my opinion, is an incredibly horrid name for a TV station) was the only bunch that would have them. I mean, Vince is a pretty shitty businessman at times, but I think even he knows not to put his product on a shitty network.
The WWE probably should have waited through WrestleMania to secure SmackDown! a new home. TV ratings will probably be higher heading into and through WrestleMania, and this Floyd Mayweather shit might get them some publicity. All of that could have aided them in taking a bigger network. The whole NBC banner, for example, who they currently have a good relationship with.
The upside to the WWE going to a little dodgy place is this: They will have more control. SmackDown! is probably going to be a good show for MyNetworkTV, get them some extra viewers, get more commercials viewed, and while I doubt the network will expand to every household in America, the WWE will probably have enough favour to put SmackDown! back onto Thursday nights, or even run Saturday Night's Main Event specials at their will, etc.
Kane Knight
02-27-2008, 04:55 PM
They certainly will be the biggest thing going on MNTV.
Afterlife
02-28-2008, 05:09 PM
I guess my argument would be this: I only watch USA for RAW. And I only watch CW for SmackDown!. So, when I tune into a station that runs mainly on syndication to only watch the show that is NOT syndicated, then WWE gets the credit for promoting said station. And, if there are ppl like me, then it adds up. And, hell, wether we choose to admit it or not, there will be a faction of individuals that demand access to said minimalist channel so's they can watch their show.
Once again, this is a decision that was made by business people, so maybe we should give them the benefit of the doubt and see what happens? Hell, maybe this MNTV is planning an expansion that we don't know about simply b/c it's none of our business? To sum up, I'll just stick to my old slogan, only this time we'll apply it to real life instead of a tv show: Watch before you bitch.
Innovator
02-28-2008, 06:06 PM
better than WGN
Kane Knight
02-28-2008, 08:05 PM
I guess my argument would be this: I only watch USA for RAW. And I only watch CW for SmackDown!. So, when I tune into a station that runs mainly on syndication to only watch the show that is NOT syndicated, then WWE gets the credit for promoting said station. And, if there are ppl like me, then it adds up. And, hell, wether we choose to admit it or not, there will be a faction of individuals that demand access to said minimalist channel so's they can watch their show.
Once again, this is a decision that was made by business people, so maybe we should give them the benefit of the doubt and see what happens? Hell, maybe this MNTV is planning an expansion that we don't know about simply b/c it's none of our business? To sum up, I'll just stick to my old slogan, only this time we'll apply it to real life instead of a tv show: Watch before you bitch.
That's a lot of baseless assumption, and the issue of demand would work better if this were cable and not broadcast. And not to mention, things like that beautiful reverse Occam's Razor....Which is wrong.
Kane Knight
02-28-2008, 08:15 PM
Incidentally, MyNetwork TV is evidently a fairly unsuccessful and borderline unprofitable network. So yeah. Maybe they'll expand. Maybe they'll magically become successful overnight. That doesn't make the decision any smarter or sounder, and you're smarter than to continue to argue this disingenuous extension of such statements.
I mean, within the context of this thread, are you really trying to say that it's not a dumb idea because of something that could happen but is unlikely? Seems a rather dumb defense of WWE's move to this network. You asked how this was a dumb move, several reasons were proposed, and now you're trying to propose ridiculous hypotheticals.
Afterlife
02-29-2008, 06:47 PM
I'm not proposing anything, really. I never really care much when you guys start talking about business decisions and squabbling over who has the right ratings sheet from 6 months ago. I really only pay attention to the writing and character aspects of things; that's all to which I can relate. I just have a rough time when 14y/o kids on the interweb start calling billionaire corporations "stupid". Makes little sense, regardless of the topic in question.
I have no qualms with anything you or the others have said. Simply giving my versino of what the company might be thinking. That is all.
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