UPN Moves WWE Smackdown To Friday Nights

[Perfection]

Thanks to PWinsider for the following:

-- UPN announced today at their convention that SmackDown! will be moving to Friday night from 8-10EST starting during the fall season. This is considered a 'death slot' as it is on a Friday night when many people are out. Saturday is the worst for drawing viewers with Friday falling close behind.

This likely means that WWE will not be signed to another deal with UPN. WWE management did not want the show to move but with UPN as USA networks sister station (RAW going there in the Fall) and only a year left on their contract with UPN, they really had no choice.

[Perfection]

-- UPN's 2005-06 schedule has several new entries, but the big story is that one of its top shows, WWE SmackDown!, will be heading to Friday nights.

Although the Friday slot is considered one of the worst from a viewership perspective, the hope is that the pro wrestling audience will prove inelastic and carry over to the lesser timeslot. UPN will fill Thursday with four comedies: "Everybody Hates Chris," "Eve," "Cuts," and "Love, Inc."

With NBC's Thursday comedies performing far worse than expected last season, the other networks see the night, which once belonged exclusively to CBS and NBC, as being up for grabs. Only FOX will keep its Thursday "teen" format intact - the network returns with The OC and the new soap opera "Reunion."

Thus, UPN did not view WWE SmackDown! as the most strategic choice to attempt to capitalize on Thursday nights. Although the show performs well, the feeling is that it isn't the type of show that could attract too many new viewers. Since the feeling is that viewership won't be hurt with the move to Fridays, it made sense to run some new and proven comedies in the timeslot.

[Perfection]

To add on the story we had up earlier today regarding UPN's announcement of moving WWE SmackDown to Friday night starting this fall, a good number of WWE officials who should have been made aware about this move prior to it being announced reportedly didn't and were said to be blindsided by it. The impression among many at this point is that UPN made the decision to announce it today rather than inform WWE ahead of time.

As noted in the previous article, WWE only having a year left on their contract with UPN no doubt caused this move as the show has taken on a somewhat "lame duck" status among those at UPN since no interest has been expressed by them to renew it. There is already said to be talk within WWE about the company shopping around SmackDown to other networks after its deal with UPN ends next year. It is possible they may have started that by now as well.

[eS El Duque]

everybody hates chris 

[Sikotic™]

I never watch it so it doesnt bother me. Now I'll never watch it since its on fridays.

[Wild_Elmo]

I never watch it so it doesnt bother me. Now I'll never watch it since its on fridays.

[Bomb-A®]

they should just cancel it...so we'll only have raw and all the talent can be on one show....its not like the talent is in abundance anyways



peace

[oglocdogg]

yeah shud just have one show

[Bomb-A®]

 



peace

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

Everything was downhill after the name change...

[WestCoasta]

nobody cares Jimmy!  WWE is for redneck's who wanna see the big titty hoes featured on it..... although somewhat understandable