The future of RAW

[JoeDirt 0]

What happens to Velocity and Heat?

Scherer is saying nothing was mentioned about those shows...so I guess we'll find out. USA used to show Heat, maybe they'll pick it up again.

[Guest jumpingbombangel]

Oh, God, if only to see another Saturday Night's Main Event again on NBC...oh, the memories, the memories of watching NBC on Saturday nights before SNL jumped all seven seas...

[DrVenkman PhD 0]

Meltzer:

 

WWE officially released this morning that it had signed a three-year contract with the USA Network, that goes into effect I believe with the 10/3 show, although that could be off a week. The deal also includes two NBC specials in the Saturday Night Live time slot, like in the 80s, which is a huge deal, as well as Raw getting on Telemundo. It appears the Velocity-style show may be canceled, as the new contract only calls for one weekend show instead of three, and it will be a Raw branded show, so it'll be Heat or a renamed version. We'll have a detailed story on that in next week's Observer. The down side of the deal is WWE will retain no advertising, so the estimated loss of income is $37 million.

[ChrisMWaters 0]

Raw on Telemundo...

 

...I'll have to watch that sometime, just to see what it's like.

[Guest pinnacleofallthingsmanly]

Fuck HD. Every time I've watched USA in this city, there were lines running through the screen.

[Guest Super Pissed Smark]

But they must've been the clearest, sharpest, most real-to-life-looking lines you'd ever seen.

 

The down side of the deal is WWE will retain no advertising, so the estimated loss of income is $37 million.

 

That's a lot of money.

[bradolson 0]

The down side of the deal is WWE will retain no advertising, so the estimated loss of income is $37 million.

Of that $37 million in ad revenue, "only" $13 million was profit (according to one of the previous posts). If USA is keeping the ad money with this new deal, one would think that they are going to pay WWE more for the actual programming than they got on SpikeTV.

 

So in the end, it could be a very similar amount. But it means that WWE no longer has to sell the ads themselves, which will save them some cash. Plus getting paid a fixed amount helps in case the overall TV ad market declines in the next few years. They will still have the stability of a constant source of revenue.

[Jericholic82 0]

If this leads to random Walker: Texas Ranger clips during Raw, I'm happy.

yknow I was thinking the same thing. maybe conan can be the new annoucner on raw and pull the lever during boring matches or segments or hhh interviews

[iliketurtles 0]

Man, I'm so fucking stacked about this deal.

 

-WWE on NBC with Saturday Night specials? Time to get back into the big time, boys. No more fucking SpikeTV bullshit.

 

-$8 million dollars already guarenteed just to hype up WWE's return to USA? JESUS.

 

-Telemundo!

 

-HDTV (possibly)

 

-Having Bonnie Hammer back involved with the WWE (who is credited to alot of the success on USA, as well as her part in the creative/writing department in 2000)

 

I think if they show improvement, then who knows what that could lead to in terms of more shows on NBC Universal. Has major potential and I'm glad they're going home.

[Jericholic82 0]

why is the idea of SNME so excititng? we get big name matches on raw all the time right now

[iliketurtles 0]

why is the idea of SNME so excititng? we get big name matches on raw all the time right now

Cause they have a legit chance of getting a 10.0 for a wrestling show in primetime Saturday Night TV.

 

And that would change business. BIG time. And if they have two monster ratings for both of their shows, then NBCU might give them another special.

 

And if that does well, and I say this in all seriousness, NBC might have either Raw or Smackdown in the years to come.

 

Of course, it could easily as bomb like the XFL did on NBC. But the potential is there, and they didn't have this on SpikeTV at all.

 

It's all about consitency. If WWE can prove that wrestling can be popular once again and bring in a strong fan base each and every week, then man, the whole world is for them to conquer.

 

But that's going to take a looooooot of work. But again, they haven't had this opportunity and a long time.

[Guest pinnacleofallthingsmanly]

IIRC, aren't they losing Smackdown on UPN? When does that happen and how does that factor into things? Those NBC specials could be potentially huge if that's their only non-cable show where they can have big names.

[2GOLD 0]

I don't buy the NBC specials, at all. Every year we hear this, we heard this when WWE signed with Viacom. NBC will find a way to wiggle out of that part of the deal, perhaps even blame sagging ratings.

 

I don't like seeing Velocity go. Now you have more guys with nothing to do that will either be cut or fired.

 

I'm seeing a lot of areas where this deal could end up hurting the WWE more than helping but they really had no other options. I see too many grey areas.

[ChrisMWaters 0]

Would USA allow Raw to go the extra 5-10 minutes they usually do?

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

Would USA allow Raw to go the extra 5-10 minutes they usually do?

Haven't they in the past?

[Spaceman Spiff 0]

It appears the Velocity-style show may be canceled, as the new contract only calls for one weekend show instead of three, and it will be a Raw branded show, so it'll be Heat or a renamed version.

Boo.

[iliketurtles 0]

WWE always had the time overrun with USA.

[Guest Shadow]

USA also never really had problems extending raw another 10-15 minutes if need be. WWE has to ask permission from Spike to go to 11:10.

[The Tino Standard 0]

Why do they still do that overrun on Raw? The whole point of it was for the ratings dogfight with Nitro, but that's long since passed. They don't have an overrun for Smackdown (network TV restraints), and there really isn't a need for one on Raw anymore either.

 

Not that I'm complaining, mind you. It's another full segment of show we get each week. I'm just curious how it has been able to stay.

[2GOLD 0]

Why do they still do that overrun on Raw? The whole point of it was for the ratings dogfight with Nitro, but that's long since passed. They don't have an overrun for Smackdown (network TV restraints), and there really isn't a need for one on Raw anymore either.

 

Not that I'm complaining, mind you. It's another full segment of show we get each week. I'm just curious how it has been able to stay.

 

Cause promos run long (for example, Austin) and commercial time limits what they can and can't do. With Smackdown, they can edit down the promos and the matches where with RAW they are stuck with the gameplan.

 

Easier to overrun than constantly cut important promos and slice down the main event or any match in between so badly that the match becomes pointless.

[claydude14 0]

USA also never really had problems extending raw another 10-15 minutes if need be. WWE has to ask permission from Spike to go to 11:10.

Man I loved USA's news ticker at the bottom of RAW when it'd go to over run. It'd tell people looking for Pacific Blue to stay tuned; or said things like "We know you have work in the morning, it will only be a few more minutes we promise."

Does anyone else remember this or am I making shit up?

[Promoter 0]

SNME? Let's hope they can capitalize on this and don't turn my childhood memories of the show into WCW RAW. Just warning y'all

 

Okay, this is a question I've seen brought up elsewhere. Would RAW actually draw better if it was cut down from 2 hours? Someone stated that the over-run was really a by-product of the monday night wars, but so is giving away 2 hours of wrestling on monday nights. Sometimes I think people really glorify RAW's past because they forget at one time it was only one hour and it prevented filler crap from airing. Maybe if they have RAW trimmed from 2 hours to 1 and half or 1 hour would actually make people care for the ppv shows again. I'm not so sad to see those horrible weekend shows go. Maybe they can now make that 1 hour show actually good like the old superstars. I think they should actually condense the hours more to make fans crave the product. I mean Bischoff killed Nitro and wcw with going the 3 hour format.

[iliketurtles 0]

A big part of it is to gain viewers for the show after Raw, and Raw as well.

 

If you wanted to watch the first episode of the UFC show, you tuned in at 10:55 and you got 15 minutes of WWE before your UFC show. Now, SpikeTV hopes not only do you watch UFC, but now you'll tune in even earlier to watch Raw.

 

And, all the WWE fans will hopefully stick around to wach UFC after the overrun cause it goes directly to the next show (no commercials or ads, anything). Barely any transition.

 

That's a big part of it.

[Guest news_gimmick]

....

[Dobbs 3K 0]

Hopefully RAW gets a makeover finally...new set, new music, etc.

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

There is absolutely no reason for them to not do HD RAW by 2006. I can understand them not having it when it starts because they'll still probably have to buy equipment and such..and the 2 NBC Specials better be in HD too.

 

Also, I was thinking..

 

1rst NBC Special - Last Saturday Night before Wrestlemania

2nd NBC Special - Last Saturday Night before Survivor Series

 

I was also thinking...could this be the motivation to end the brand extension???

[Carnival 0]

I was also thinking...could this be the motivation to end the brand extension???

I hope not

[UseTheSledgehammerUh 0]

Why NBC would want ANYTHING to do with McMahon is astonishing.

 

His XFL drew the lowest ratings in the history of NBC...and back then WWF's own numbers were up.

 

I'd stay clear if I were NBC. Wrestling's in the toilet now.

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

I was also thinking...could this be the motivation to end the brand extension???

I hope not

Eh..why not? There wouldn't be any better time to end the brand extension than with the new TV deal, epsecially given the state of both rosters as it is.

 

At this point, there are..maybe 15 or so top stars on each show. Neither show has a Tag Division..Canceling Velocity means they might as well ditch the cruiser division on Smackdown. The Women's division on RAW might as well not even exist either.

 

The guys who are around just because there's a brand extension (uh.. Val Venis, Viscera,Chris Masters, Simon Dean, Heidenreich, Mark Jindrak..etc.. ) arent anything to throw a fit over to keep the brand extension.

 

Take the 30 or so top stars from each show, throw them back into the one brand, have them wrestle both shows, put some of the lesser people back on Heat. Plus, no more single brand PPVs, although they'd have to cut out the extra ones they just recently added..

[UseTheSledgehammerUh 0]

Although the PPV market is way too oversaturated, and buyrates are down, the NUMBER of PPVs and thus addition of extra buyrates has WWE making a profit over when the brand extension didn't exist in 2002.

 

Thus, WWE making a profit = We don't give a fuck what you want, we're keeping the Brand Extension.