RAW to Stay with NBC/USA Network; Smackdown to get new Home

[BigCrippyZ]

Originally Posted by Noid Like, I can feel myself ticking over to the point where I want to detach myself so much that when I'm reading television news in a few years, I can be surprised WWE even still exists when I found out they are either folding or getting renewed for another 8 years and own a country in the Middle-East. So is this deal real? I don't understand why NBC Universal would agree to this. It feels like they could have renewed for much of the same.

If it is real, there are two primary reasons for the increase.

1. Selling their content to Disney, Fox and FS1 & 2 now have the $ and also the need for new original content, and so Fox was offering a similar figure for WWE programming, and probably in particular RAW, and

2. For both Fox and NBC, they've determined that over the length of whatever agreement(s) they've offered or may offer, at least currently, its less risk and more cost effective for them to pay WWE for it's content that has an already established audience, (despite the declining audience), then it is to attempt to develop new original content and build new audiences with no guarantee of return.

[Mr. Nerfect]

Originally Posted by BigCrippyZ If it is real, there are two primary reasons for the increase. 1. Selling their content to Disney, Fox and FS1 & 2 now have the $ and also the need for new original content, and so Fox was offering a similar figure for WWE programming, and probably in particular RAW, and 2. For both Fox and NBC, they've determined it's less risk and more cost effective over the length of whatever agreement(s) they've offered or may offer, that at least currently, its less risk and more cost effective for them to pay WWE for it's content that has an already established audience, (despite the declining audience), then it is to attempt to develop new original content and build new audiences with no guarantee of return.

Both of those make perfect sense. A FOX offer edging up the price is a safe bed. I suppose keeping that audience is worth something, but in lieu of that other offer, I don't know if an increase goes to follow, you know? This is your field though. I suppose it is common in television for fees to increase as things go on, but does triple the amount sound right without the FOX offer?

[BigCrippyZ]

Originally Posted by Noid Both of those make perfect sense. A FOX offer edging up the price is a safe bed. I suppose keeping that audience is worth something, but in lieu of that other offer, I don't know if an increase goes to follow, you know? This is your field though. I suppose it is common in television for fees to increase as things go on, but does triple the amount sound right without the FOX offer?

Triple the amount? No, that's not likely to occur without a similar competing offer or some other rare unknown outside factor being a big impact and consideration.

It is true that the longer they've been on the air and on a particular network, a majority of television properties and broadcast rights, generally increase in fees (and also usually costs) over time.

However, to increase 3x, given the WWE's decline in ratings and viewership, is pretty remarkable without some outside factor (Fox's competing interest and very likely similar offer, it appears in this case) playing a big role.