Bad News For Smackdown: New Day
 

In a move that may be a sign that UPN will not renew Smackdown after its contract expires in the fall of 2006, the network announced at their upfront presentation today that Smackdown will be moving to Friday night, in the 8 to 10 timeslot, starting in the fall season. Friday night is one of the two traditionally worst drawing nights of the week for TV shows (Saturday is the worst). When you consider that WWE reaches younger viewers and that many of them go out on Friday nights, that probably means that Smackdown will do a lower rating on its new night. I just spoke with a highly placed source in the company who told me that WWE management did not want the show to move from Thursday nights but given that they only have a year left on their contract, and recently moved their cable programming from Spike TV, UPN's sister company, to USA, it's not like WWE could do anything about it. At this time, it's not known if USA would take on Smackdown when its contract with UPN expires next year.

Credit: PWInsider

:wave: decent ratings

This sucks, but it's the WWE's fault for making the show so shit and assuming that they're always going to have a tv deal, honestly, that's real arrogance when you think about it. When your running a tv show you have to do your best to keep the contract to the channel your programme is on, but in the last few years as we all know they just haven't given a fuck. If the ratings were fine, then i'm sure this wouldn't of happened.

We get smackdown on friday nights over here in the uk to, so for once the US will have to wait aslong as we do. :D

man that kinda sucks

<font color=goldenrod>This sucks, I won't be able to watch it most weeks.</font>

I won't be able to watch it then.

Oh well. I'll still watch it Thursdays on The Score. That is, if they don't change it too.

Still... I always watched on UPN because The Score has this perpetual news ticker on the bottom of the screen and I hate news tickers. I guess I'll have to put up with it now.

well it looks like all of smackdown's good wrestlers will go to raw an all the jobers go to smackdown. in the draft.

Ouch. Guess that means little more SD! for me.

Let's see...Smackdown! Or Stargate SG-1?

This is about as difficult a choice as "Family Guy or getting shot in the nuts."

Damn, they got the dreaded "ECW on TNN" timeslot

Yeah, except now you'll probably have to wait until Saturday or Sunday, because I know that the WWE wants SmackDown! (or any show) to air in the US first...

Anyway, shit. That is some bad news for SmackDown!. If they don't get picked up by USA the following year, they're fucked.

They'll probably push it back to Saturdays.

Sorry Xero Limit, didn't see your post.

Shit, i didn't think of it like that..we'll see, they would inform us of any changes back to the original schedule, but i havent seen anything yet.Though i've been losing interest in sd! so it doesn't matter to much to me, we still get it on saturdays aswell anyway.

This might not be as bad as what you're thinking. Smackdown appeals more to the YOUNG young wrestling audience. Every time I catch smackdown, it's like a monster truck show....a few dads chaperoning while their 8 year old sons go nuts for crap that nobody older than 9 would bother watching. So while some kids might not be free to watch on Thursday nights because they have to finish their spelling homework, on a Friday night they can watch all they want. And since it's little kids, they really don't have anywhere to go anyway. Stupid little kids.... "1 R 1337!~!"

I don't watch Smackdown regularly so I don't care

Smackdown isnt as good as Raw anyway. the only person i like on SD is Undertaker, and he's hardly on anyway.

funnily this means I'll be able to watch Smackdown wityh regularity for the first time in a year.

Awesome.

This may actually be good news for the WWE, since Thursday nights can actually be just as bad, since CSI and Survivor on CBS usually murders anything else in the ratings week in and week out, and NBC seems to be trying to dominate that night again, as well, leaving everyone else in the dust, including the WWE. Those young viewers might just be watching CSI and Survivor (maybe the Apprentance on NBC). However, Fridays could be better. We can see how this does, maybe UPN actually has that idea going on (hopefully, or else I'm getting neg repped for this idea to hell and back).

Maybe for you.

okay well I can say this right away that I won't be watching SD! anymore, so I hope all the stars SD! has goes to Raw ie John Cena, Taker, JBL, etc.

Uhh...reason, please? :shifty:

Wait actually, it'll still be from 8-10. Therefore, there's nothing to worry about...I doubt many people (except if you're in middle school or early high school) go out starting at 8 pm. I'm sure most people don't start till late 10 or 11.

I was going to say due to my selfishness in not being able to watch SD anymore. But nevermind.

this makes me happy. I can actually not have to pick between SD! and CSI.

Duh?

I happen to like Stargate SG-1 and am all excited for the new season to begin. This is going to be a very huge dilemma for me.

Errrr...Missed the point, Captain Peachfuzz.

I was saying that given the choice, Smackdown loses. :D

Hands down.

Incidentally, you can catch the replays at 11. SG-1's new eps are repeated...

I doubt I'll do that though.

Isn't Smackdown! UPN's highest rated program next to "America' Top Model"? This doesn't look like a good business move for UPN either. I mean, it's not like they have a lot of shows to move to Thursday nights that will be ratings bonanzas.

This isn't WWE's fault.

Basically UPN has more faith in some Chris Rock comedy, which makes sense given the difference in ad dollars they will make.

SD was still getting very good numbers, usually better than RAW, so they still have a big audience.

The question is, will they follow to Fridays?

Its good and bad as has already been pointed out, but I think it would be much better if they could get a Tues or Wed timeslot instead of Fridays. Friday is a pretty tough night to draw viewers.

UPN in toronto? or is that on sattelite

anyway, they let canada have smackdown an hour earlier, but i doubt they would let us have it an ENTIRE DAY earlier :(

they should make it live if they are going to do this, but i'm sure even the wrestlers have something to do on friday nights

watching smackdown is becoming a chore for me, I only do it to stay with the storylines incase it gets good, if it goes to friday nights i doubt i will keep watching

this is horrible

On Digital Cable. Though before they switched over to Digital I still got it. Now though you don't get it unless you get Digital.

meh, technically I can stay home on a Friday night to watch Smackdown but what happens when my girl says "Dave, c'mon over, let's have sex" What am I supposed to say? "Sorry, can't have sex right now, watching Smackdown" Then if I stayed home expecting a good show only to see Big Show eat a poison banana, then I will smack my TV

don't know if you did that on purpose, but "smack your tv" was actually on a commercial advertising smackdown lol

What the hell is going to happen with it in the UK now? :(

and won't that effect there's house show gates? Don't they work Fri-Tue, if Smackdown is on TV why would a fan go to see a house show the same day?

LOL!!

yeah, the WWE just do not care about what ratings they get.

making money? Who gives a fuck?

don't be so ignorant. Of course they "give a fuck".

Not enough of one to keep their shows on the same channel, or to work to draw better ratings...

because that would require hard work and a bit of critical thinking. instead they either a) think they can overcome all there problems by introducing a brand new character to grab headlines or b) recycle old plots and stories to grab headlines.

GIVE US BETTER WRESTLING YOU BASTARDS!

There i said it. Give me a £100k job at Titan towers, i just saved smackdown.