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RAW stays with NBCU for 1.35 billion/5 years


Jmare007

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https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/wrestling-rights-shakeup-fox-nabs-wwe-espn-signs-ufc-nbc-gets-raw-1115156

 

Starting in October 2019, Fox will air SmackDown for five years, if the deal closes as expected. NBCU will retain Raw, paying $265 million per year, sources say, with the two deals valued at $2.35 billion over five years — a massive increase from the $130 million per year that NBCU currently pays for both programs.

 

 

How long before Wrestlemania gets a monster deal and is off the Network?

 

 

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Considering the ratings have fallen each year, I wonder what happens when this continues for Fox and NBC?

 

I'd have to think by year 3, they've come to terms with the fact they overpaid for a dwindling property.

 

It's a side effect of the other TV deals live programming is getting right now. It's all overpriced. I think we'll see a market correction as a lot of these networks aren't going to be able to afford these deals as ratings continue to decline. I think the hardest hit is going to be the NFL because they have been so resistant to technology compared to everyone else.

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I'm confused though. Is there anything new here? What did we learn today that we didn't already know?

 

I thought this bit was interesting, especially given the stat we hear about wrestling ad rates being much lower than standard ad rates:

 

"We could not sell UFC" at Fox, says a former staffer. "And wrestling is family friendly. If you have wrestling you can find cash. I think it's a big win for Fox; it's a great trade-off."

I had always assumed that UFC had similar ad rates to regular sports. Unless this is ass-covering from Fox.

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I'm confused though. Is there anything new here? What did we learn today that we didn't already know?

 

The money, the years and there's some tidbits in the article like Murdoch saying that they'll promote SD every day, that NBCU was embarrassed of wrestling and that FS1 will have a studio show dedicated to WWE.

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UFC doesn't necessarily do great on TV and it's been in a state of decline for a solid 8 years minus Ronda and Conner. They haven't created new stars to replace the guys that made them popular to begin with.

 

But to be fair, Ronda, Conor, GSP...they reached such a huge amount of popularity that trying to annoint any fighter the next Ronda, the next Conor and the next GSP would be setting them up for failure. I don't know if they'll ever have someone reaching that level. Can we put Demetrius Johnson being on the cusp of that category? Can Justin Gaethje reach that level should he continue down his path? Who knows.

 

But to corroborate wht Jmare said, I was also surprised that FOX now seems to be fully on-board with WWE, and I actually like the idea of a possible revival of Talking Smack on FS1. I'm curious to know how much they'll follow through with all those promises though.

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Will this lead to another promotion getting a decent TV deal or a cable channel starting a promotion. It is relatively cheap, find a place to record and a few guys under contract. There are a few ex WWE guys floating around who could carry a small or a medium size wrestling promotion.

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I think it depends on if it is successful. For somebody besides just WWE, that is. USA is just holding on to what they already have and Fox is just trading UFC for WWE. The equation as far as pro wrestling's current popularity is concerned remains unchanged. I doubt there was anyone else with heavy interest in pro wrestling programming that lost out on the bidding. Perhaps Facebook but I can't imagine Facebook was so impressed with their experiment with WWE that they'd be sold on repeating it without WWE attached. I suppose if being on Fox opens WWE up to a whole new audience, it could get people not currently considering pro wrestling to change their minds but I don't really know what broadcast network exposure will really mean in 2019.

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It was never that wrestling could not draw. It was often the hateful idea only poor people watch wrestling and they apparently have never spend money.

Now that beggers can't be choosers, wrestling looks more attractive to advertisers. If ROH made a full court press to get a cable deal, I think they could.

This could explain why WWE keeps signing up indy talent they have no plans for.

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Will this lead to another promotion getting a decent TV deal or a cable channel starting a promotion. It is relatively cheap, find a place to record and a few guys under contract. There are a few ex WWE guys floating around who could carry a small or a medium size wrestling promotion.

Much more likely is WWE turning NXT into a real third brand and getting it on TV.

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Then they'll be dangerously close to flooding the market, and interest in anything else will dwindle.

 

I agree that they can't do another show that's the same as, or aimed at the same fans as Raw & Smackdown. I don't agree that they can't do different types of shows.

 

For instance I would try to get NXT (you'd probably want to change the name to get away from the developmental stigma) on a sports station and play up the athletic and competition aspects while severely downplaying the soap opera aspects.

 

You could also do a women's wrestling show aimed specifically at women fans, or a show aimed at young kids.

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They had (still do for all I know) Saturday morning programming, and a few sitcoms that would have otherwise fit on ABC in the 90's (Sinbad's comes to mind). They also had Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers in either the mornings or afternoon from what I remember.

 

In my house The Simpsons was easily accepted although I've heard stories where that was not the case.

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