WWE to leave Spike TV

[Hunter's Torn Quad 0]

I don't know where you come off with this Fox won't negoiate with the WWE stuff either.

He got it from the fact that Fox won't negotiate with WWE.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

If Vince let his shows be shown for a cheaper rate, then there would be more buyers, but with the figures Vince is looking for in a TV deal at this point, no.

[Sass 0]

The office heads at USA, in press releases, were less than warm to the thought about the WWE leaving their network after being partners for 20 years. It was also USA's highest rated show. It wasn't an easy parting of ways is what I remember.

[Secret Agent 0]

I don't know where you come off with this Fox won't negoiate with the WWE stuff either.

He got it from the fact that Fox won't negotiate with WWE.

Like I said, source? I didn't ask for a parrot to repeat what was already said.

[Hunter's Torn Quad 0]

I don't know where you come off with this Fox won't negoiate with the WWE stuff either.

He got it from the fact that Fox won't negotiate with WWE.

Like I said, source? I didn't ask for a parrot to repeat what was already said.

If you had read the thread before posting, you would have seen a source.

 

And I didn't ask for a moron to not bother to read all of a thread before mouthing off.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

I don't know where you come off with this Fox won't negoiate with the WWE stuff either.

He got it from the fact that Fox won't negotiate with WWE.

Like I said, source? I didn't ask for a parrot to repeat what was already said.

If you had read the thread before posting, you would have seen a source.

 

And I didn't ask for a moron to not bother to read all of a thread before mouthing off.

The point remains, Fox doesnt want WWE at this point. Now like I said earlier, if Vince was willing to sell his shows for a cheaper rate, then maybe more networks would talk with him, but he is basically demanding 2000 money for 1995 quality.

[Hunter's Torn Quad 0]

The problem with Vince dropping his asking price to where other channels will be interested in negotiating with him, is that to get down to that require level may be too much of a drop for Vince's ego to take, and it's not like Vince is above letting ego get in the way of business.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

I don't doubt that. I wasn't speaking in realistic terms (I know Vince won't ever let the price drop). I was speaking in idealistic terms.

[KingPK 0]

Read Sex, Lies and Headlocks. It goes into pretty good detail how Vince battled with USA over RAW a lot, and how USA felt that Viacom played dirty when they tried to take RAW away from them, since they knew (USA alleged) that USA couldn't have possibly matched their offer without them losing a TON of money in the process.

 

Vince also wanted a piece of USA itself, and for them to pony up to help finance what would become the XFL.

 

And Sass, I believe the woman you are referring to is Kay Koplovitz.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

I have the book, actually. USA actually felt that Viacom was unfairly winning the bidding by offering various avenues that WWE could get into, like a book deal with the publishing company owned by Viacom, a primetime network special on a Viacom-owned channel, etc. USA had no way of matching those added incentives, and thus sued WWE to keep them on USA. They lost the case, obviously (or dropped the suit, either way they came out the losers). Hence the bad blood. Though USA is at fault too, for refusing to agree to not preempt Raw for the dog show.

[Guest Super Pissed Smark]

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/a...wwe_wrestling_2

 

WWE Looking for New Television Home

 

1 hour, 13 minutes ago  Television - AP

 

 

By DAVID BAUDER, AP Television Writer

 

NEW YORK - World Wrestling Entertainment is looking for a new television home. Cable's Spike TV, which has shown pro wrestling regularly on Monday and Saturday nights, said it has stopped negotiating with the WWE for an extension of a contract that ends in September.

 

 

 

"Moving forward, Spike TV will expand its investments in original programming and new acquisitions for its core audience," the network said in a statement.

 

 

"WWE Raw" and "WWE Raw Zone" are regularly among the most popular programs on cable television; they ranked Nos. 1 and 2 in last week's ranking of the most-watched prime-time basic cable shows.

 

 

They're particularly popular among the young men that Spike TV seeks as an audience.

 

 

Spike wouldn't comment beyond its statement, but a network executive speaking on condition of anonymity said wrestling was never as popular with advertisers as it was with audiences. Spike is also moving toward more scripted programming and less reality, the executive said.

 

 

Still, Spike's statement that its decision came "after several months of negotiations" indicates that its executives saw wrestling had value — just not the value that WWE saw.

 

 

The USA Network, which was the home for wrestling before it moved to Spike in 2000, is considered the most likely spot for the WWE.

 

 

A USA Network spokesman declined to comment Friday.

 

 

The WWE wasn't talking, either.

 

 

The loss of wrestling will undoubtedly leave a hole in Spike's schedule and cost a considerable number of viewers.

 

 

At least Spike's chief executive, Doug Herzog, will be used to the experience. He was the head of USA five years ago when wrestling left for Spike.

 

So Vince doesn't actually have a deal with USA yet? This could get interesting.

[KingPK 0]

Vince HAS, HAS, HAS to realize that he's not in the position of power in negotiations anymore. This point has to be emphasized. His RAW audience is probably about half of what it was during the peak at USA, WWE is in a creative rut, and wrestling isn't the "hot commodity" it was four or so years ago.

 

If Vince doesn't suck it up and accept that, he's fucked royally.

[Sass 0]

I don't think it was Kay unless she took over for the woman who I'm thinking about.

[Vyce 0]

Vince HAS, HAS, HAS to realize that he's not in the position of power in negotiations anymore. This point has to be emphasized. His RAW audience is probably about half of what it was during the peak at USA, WWE is in a creative rut, and wrestling isn't the "hot commodity" it was four or so years ago.

 

If Vince doesn't suck it up and accept that, he's fucked royally.

He's not in SUCH a bad position.

 

Regardless of the fact that RAW isn't pulling in the audience that it used to, it's still the top-rated cable program running today. If it isn't, it's surely in the top five. USA doesn't really have anything that competes with that. Their highest rated program, I believe, is Monk, and RAW (even in its current state) pulls in about double the ratings for that show. They'd LOVE for RAW to return to them.

[Hunter's Torn Quad 0]

Despite Raw getting high ratings, the stigma attatched to wrestling fans in the advertising world is such that channels carrying it don't get the same money for slots on Raw that they would get for other programs that get similar ratings.

[bobobrazil1984 0]

 

Regardless of the fact that RAW isn't pulling in the audience that it used to, it's still the top-rated cable program running today.  If it isn't, it's surely in the top five.  USA doesn't really have anything that competes with that.  Their highest rated program, I believe, is Monk, and RAW (even in its current state) pulls in about double the ratings for that show.  They'd LOVE for RAW to return to them.

 

What good are high ratings if the advertisers aren't coming? The whole point of high ratings is to get more advertising money. I remember reading somewhere that shows on, UPN i think, that get LOWER ratings than Smackdown make more in ad money. Meltzer has also been insisting this for years, that many advertisers dont want to buy advertising time. Just today, in an Associated Press article it says...

"Spike wouldn't comment beyond its statement, but a network executive speaking on condition of anonymity said wrestling was never as popular with advertisers as it was with audiences."

 

Vince wanting a deal worth more money (if i understand some of these stories correctly) than the original deal is laughable, considering the drop in popularity and numbesr.

[Guest Tjhe CyNick]

But I believe RAW helped Spike's overall numbers, which in turn bumped up the ad rates for other shows on the network.

 

If say the WWE could bump USA to the #1 cable channel, even if RAW itself didn't generate big ad dollars, it would be still worth it for USA to be able to say "we're #1 come advertise with us".

[Kizzo 0]

Vince better reduce that "higher rate" for his programming if he wants these networks to even consider WWE programming......does he even understand that he was NO leverage at all with these networks???

 

FOX

TNT, and others have already said no to even opening negotiations.....but USA has declined to comment on the situation.....

 

Let's also remember that USA Network is owned by NBC Universal....and rumors are already circulating if Disney does not renew there contract with the NFL this year......NBC Universal would have interest in putting Thursday or Saturday Night NFL games on there cable channel "USA Network" .....which equals lots and lots of ad dollars for that cable channel..

 

A big disadvantage for WWE is in ad dollars...yeah ratings can be higher than some programming on the USA Network but when it comes to ad dollars....they are making money....and that's what it is all about.....Viacom can afford to pay WWE any amount they put forth....but would it worht it to them???

[Guest MikeSC]

USA can basically stick it to Vince and the WWE here. They have no leverage to lean on with them.

Which is of precious little benefit to the rest of the industry.

-=Mike

[LessonInMachismo 0]

Despite Raw getting high ratings, the stigma attatched to wrestling fans in the advertising world is such that channels carrying it don't get the same money for slots on Raw that they would get for other programs that get similar ratings.

I wish the media elite could explain how dumb rednecks can afford $500 tickets to Wrestlemania.

 

Damn, I love being a wrestling fan.

 

Also, as I mentioned before, I highly doubt Vince would play this Trump card with Spike unless he had an ace in the hole in the form of a clandestine USA offer.

[justcoz 0]

I wish the media elite could explain how dumb rednecks can afford $500 tickets to Wrestlemania.

 

Damn, I love being a wrestling fan.

 

Seriously, we are treated like an audience of a bunch of ignorant inbred hicks that don't buy Pepsi or Coke products, beer or male sexual enhancement products. The $500 tickets to Wrestlemania is a good example. I'm not saying that wrestling doesn't have a redneck presence or that the industry never attracts the lowest common denominator - it does - but there is no reason advertisers should treat it in such a low-brow 'the audience is beneath us' manner. We purchase video games, CD's, DVD's, books and go to the movies. We eat fast food, have the occassional bout with erectile disfunction, drink alcohol, surf the net, buy homes, need car insurance and all of that.

[LessonInMachismo 0]

<<We purchase video games, CD's, DVD's, books and go to the movies. We eat fast food, have the occassional bout with erectile disfunction, drink alcohol, surf the net, buy homes, need car insurance and all of that.>>

 

Aside from the erectile thing, I've done all that within the last two months. And I grew up on wrestling. It's like not buying ad time during NBA games because blacks watch NBA, and they are poor...

 

I remember back in the day, at the end of Superstars, we'd get Glade Litter Fresh and Slim Jim plugs. We're hicks living with fifteen cats and eatin' our beef jerky!

[justcoz 0]

Aside from the erectile thing, I've done all that within the last two months.

 

Of course, you are oozing machismo mang....

[Guest Deadbolt]

All networks follow the FCC guidelines so I doubt it matter whether the WWE is on Spike TV or the Discovery Channel, if it’s on at the same time for the same duration, it will be exactly the same no matter what Channel it is on.

[Promoter 0]

Hopefully, Vince will probably get it in his head that Triple H is not the guy to build the company around. He's been the centrepiece since the move to Spike in 2000 pretty much. Maybe that's why Linda stated to look out for John Cena and the rumours about him jumping to RAW. They should build around a face.

 

A little off topic, but I was wondering if RAW and Smackdown went to one hour each if it would help boost the ratings. This would have to depend upon utilizing all the talent fairly in spreading the airtime. It would cut out a lot of filler and also cause less repeat matches.

[Sass 0]

Wrestling fans do get unfairly shat on for being dumb rednecks. I'm not one. Neither are many other people on this board I imagine. It all goes back to Vince and what he allows on his shows. There are also many fans that fit the ignorant fan stereotype. I don't see too many toothless yokels in overralls with their pig Frisky being led around on a leesh. Wrestling fans are smarter than credited. Hell, people stopped tuning into Vince's nepo wrestling show years ago so obviously a good number of fans have some taste about themselves.

 

Blame Vince.

[LessonInMachismo 0]

That moron Hemme sure isn't doing WWE's (and its fans') image any good.

[KingPK 0]

All networks follow the FCC guidelines so I doubt it matter whether the WWE is on Spike TV or the Discovery Channel, if it’s on at the same time for the same duration, it will be exactly the same no matter what Channel it is on.

The FCC (right now, anyway) only can influence network TV. They can't touch cable stations. Why do you think shows like The Shield, Rescue Me and Nip/Tuck are able to air?

[Sass 0]

Wrestler's aren't the smartest people to begin with.

 

Look at all the petty and insecure political bullshit they deal with from fellow wrestlers and owners. They're not too far off from pornstars.

[Guest Deadbolt]

All networks follow the FCC guidelines so I doubt it matter whether the WWE is on Spike TV or the Discovery Channel, if it’s on at the same time for the same duration, it will be exactly the same no matter what Channel it is on.

The FCC (right now, anyway) only can influence network TV. They can't touch cable stations. Why do you think shows like The Shield, Rescue Me and Nip/Tuck are able to air?

They are able to do so because they come on later at night. I wouldnt expect A show on Disney ( a Cable operated station) to say "shit" on a show that comes on late at night.