My Friday column for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review talks the announcement of SmackDown going live in July. Here’s an excerpt:
WWE SmackDown is going to be live every week starting in July, and it’s about time.
For the last 17 years, spanning 874 episodes, SmackDown always has been the secondary show in WWE’s programming. This is a game changer.
SmackDown will be airing Tuesday nights on USA Network beginning July 19. The show always has been filmed Tuesday but aired on Thursday or Friday night. It’s a change that will present a lot of positive opportunity without causing changes in the already tedious WWE production schedule.
The production schedule is the reason why, if SmackDown is to be live, it could only be Tuesday.
It’s a scheduling nightmare if WWE does television Monday — Sunday as well if it’s pay-per-view week — then takes off days before filming SmackDown on Thursday or Friday. The WWE ring and production equipment is transported via 18-wheelers, so scheduling transportation is far more efficient if all the television is done on consecutive days.
The change will offer a big advantage for SmackDown to be taken seriously. It’s only two hours compared to three for Monday Night RAW. There has been a lot of critique from fans and subtle acknowledgment from some inside WWE that three hours every week is a lot of content to fill. One hour is too short. Three is too long. Two is the sweet spot of fulfilling viewers’ interest while leaving them wanting more.
Tuesday is a better day than Monday in terms of competition. RAW combats Monday Night Football in the fall. It is head-to-head with the NCAA football and basketball championship games. which are always played on a Monday. SmackDown airing Thursdays competes with Thursday Night Football in the fall.
WWE launching this change in the middle of July is smart timing. It’s a month before SummerSlam, the second-biggest show of the year. The change and energy could provide momentum heading to the summer classic. Also, there is less original programming on television in the month of July. Try to launch a live SmackDown in the fall, and you risk getting lost in the promotional shuffle across all networks.
Then there are the critics and concerns. The extreme negativity to this announcement surprises me, even though nothing should with today’s cynicism.
CLICK HERE for answers to the length of RAW, advantage for creative and roster changes.
