Quote:
Originally Posted by Slik
NBCUniversal should revamp the USA Network into their version of Fox News and just move current programming they feel like keeping to SyFy, Bravo or Peacock.
If I were them I'd cut my losses and can NXT and just move RAW as a 2 hr show to another network and see if it can help their ratings. SyFy needs all the help it can get, Bravo seems to be doing fine.
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How would moving to a less known network help them? Raw is 3 hours because that third hour performs really well for the slot. The first 2 hours also help the network out tremendously. Raw is more valuable to the USA Network than Dynamite is to TNT.
NXT is incredibly cheap programming that draws close to what Dynamite gets, but is also PG and has the WWE branding to boost its value with advertisers. They also don't split ad revenue with WWE for it. If AEW took in the same amount of ad revenue as NXT, they're only half as valuable to TNT out the gate, then you've got to work in the TV rights fees.
USA is
laughing at the TV deal they've got for NXT. It's possible that in the future TNT regrets their current configuration with AEW, because they'll want that ad revenue money.
NXT has helped capped AEW's audience, which is niche anyway. But there's 200k or so people who would watch Dynamite if NXT weren't also on at the same time. That keeps their popularity at a certain level that is going to make them a flea when it comes to TV rights negotiations in a few years time. You want WWE numbers? You need WWE for that. That's the plan. WWE aren't moving NXT to "win" a ratings "war." But TNT might move Dynamite if they feel they can get the audience to follow it to a different slot and if they get the idea that they can bump up viewership by 200k to maximize what they can out of it. That's when WWE actually counter-program them with some weight and AEW drops to about 600k on a Tuesday, because it will be a Triple H produced show with main roster talent. TNT, who would have been expecting 950k-1 million viewers at the new time would be extremely disappointed and someone has egg on their face and that rolls downhill. Plus, NXT would be unopposed then and would probably be doing about 800k viewers.
So Vince ends up with SmackDown, Raw, a new show and NXT as the top four in wrestling with Dynamite and the TNT Cody Hour or whatever they call it scrapping up fifth and sixth. Marathon not a sprint.