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February 11, 2012
 
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Smackdown gets a new home

by Bob Sassone, posted Feb 26th 2008 2:23PM

Smackdown!Wrestling fans can breathe a sigh of relief today: you'll still get your Friday fix of power drives and folded chair smashing.

MyNetwork (aka "the network no one is quite sure they have on their local cable system or not") has won the rights to air Friday Night Smackdown. The show had been on The CW (and before that UPN - remember those days?) since 1999, but the rights ran out on January 31.

As the Broadcasting & Cable article says, MyNetwork is starting to grow and put on more original programming, including Flavor Flav's upcoming reality show, and could become a serious competitor to The CW. Of course, I could put on shows in my living room featuring sock puppets and Legos and it would probably be ratings competition for The CW. I can honestly say I haven't watched MyNetwork in...well, I'm not sure I've ever watched it. Their shows include Jail, Celebrity Expose, Paradise Island 2, Whacked Out Videos, and Street Patrol.

No word on whether or not the show will stay on Fridays or move to another night (and title).

[via TV Tattle]

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Brian Vermette

Smackdown needs three things to be more successfull, first, move the show to a cable network, on cable you can show more and say more. Second, Make Smackdown live like Monday Night RAW is and third, merge ECW and Smackdown, the merge would give the show more superstars and more storylines to work with.

February 26 2008 at 4:52 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to Brian Vermette's comment
MCW

Wow, you know your wrestling! I totally agree with what you just said. I've been a wrestling fan my entire life, I remember when it was Thursday Night Smackdown! on UPN.

I hate that it's going to be on a channel like MyNetworkTV... I'm never going to be able to find that (Though I know it's on here somewhere).

But yeah, Smackdown is way too restrictive on CW, it needs to be on something - anything else that would allow for some more mature material to happen.

February 26 2008 at 8:16 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
I.A.

Does anyone know if MNTV broadcasts HD programming? WWE just started HD production last month and the quality has been great.

February 26 2008 at 4:33 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to I.A.'s comment
CJH

MyNetworkTV broadcasts in HD in my area, although it's extremely rare that I see anything HD actually shown.

February 26 2008 at 4:48 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Josh

This deal really doesn't seem to make sense for the WWE or the CW. Can the CW find anything that will even come close to matching the ratings Smackdown brought on Friday nights? They can't even get ratings for their most pimped shows like Gossip Girl.

In my area, the local MyNetworkTV station was started by our CBS affiliate. It's a digital sub-channel on the CBS station and also broadcasts on local cable. Satellite viewers with no antenna are out of luck, I guess.

February 26 2008 at 4:21 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to Josh's comment
Dave

From what I've heard the CW was hoping that they could use Smackdown! as an advertising platform for the rest of their programming. Unfortunately for them it seems that wrestling fans were only tuning in for Smackdown and not much else.

February 26 2008 at 6:53 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
JW

I can't believe My Network is still even trying. I don't even watch it except during supper time when My Wife and Kids and those shows come one; but they suck at prime time. I thought it was a Fox channel? They should move some stuff it from Fox.

February 26 2008 at 3:31 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
SadOldMan

Does anyone get this network?? I've never heard of it.

February 26 2008 at 3:00 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
2 replies to SadOldMan's comment
Scott

If you live in a television market that used to have stations for UPN and WB, one of those turned into CW, and the other one may have become a "My Network" station. I can't imagine many cable providers bother to carry "My Network" otherwise.

February 26 2008 at 3:30 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Oreo

Yes, a lot of people get the network. Once UPN and WB became CW several areas had leftover channels. I had two UPN stations and one WB station. Now I have CW and I think maybe two "MyNetwork" stations, yet I only have one Fox and CBS station, stupid Charter.

February 26 2008 at 3:31 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Hollywood Ron

MyNetwork TV also has the International Fight League, which is actually really entertaining. Smart move for MNTV, not quite as smart a move for WWE, but USA has shown them a lot of loyalty and money since the two brands grew together, so this might be a good investment for the future.

February 26 2008 at 2:52 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to Hollywood Ron's comment
Brent Todd

They no longer have the IFL

February 26 2008 at 3:23 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply

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