SDL on FOX could be 3 hours with third hour aired on FS1

[héad.casé]

On the latest Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer revealed that there is now talk within the WWE to potentially add a third hour to SmackDown once it makes the transition over to Friday nights on FOX. The feeling among higher ups is that since they have to continue filming for 205 Live, a show that never grew as successful as WWE hoped, it may be beneficial to do the expected first two hours from 8 pm - 10 pm on FOX and then continue from 10 pm - 11 pm on FOX's affiliate, FS1.
WWE can reportedly gain upwards of $50,000,000 a year from FOX if this is the route they ultimately choose to take. It is by no means a done deal at this point, but the momentum backstage apparently has people within the financial community expecting this aspect of the deal to come together.

It was noted how there wasn't much discussion about doing a three hour show until FS1 lost it's UFC programming to the multi-year deal between ESPN and UFC. Adding more WWE programming could be one way that FOX can potentially counter that loss.

www.wrestlinginc.com/news/2019/03/backstage-news-on-wwe-smackdown-move-to-fox-652561/

[KAMALARAMBO: BOOMSHAKALAKA!!!]

Good God No!

[Friday Night SmackOwn]

No more three hour weekly wrestling shows.

[EoE: Well There's Your Problem]

And somehow The Colons still won't get booked.

[héad.casé]

I'm interested to find out how this would work - after the first two hours on FOX would they just say "To continue watching SmackDown Live, turn to FS1 now!" or something?

[EoE: Well There's Your Problem]

Mar 31, 2019 9:46:46 GMT -5 héad.casé said:

I'm interested to find out how this would work - after the first two hours on FOX would they just say "To continue watching SmackDown Live, turn to FS1 now!" or something?

It's possible. It sounds like it's just semantics for actually giving that third Tuesday hour (currently 205 Live) somewhere to air in the US other than the Network. It's not actually adding another hour of weekly programming.

[xCompackx]

I highly doubt they’re going to convince people to not only watch another three hour show, but to watch the final hour on another network. The shows just aren’t that interesting.

[Gus Richlen: Ruffian]

Mar 31, 2019 9:52:41 GMT -5 EoE: Well There's Your Problem said:

Mar 31, 2019 9:46:46 GMT -5 héad.casé said:

I'm interested to find out how this would work - after the first two hours on FOX would they just say "To continue watching SmackDown Live, turn to FS1 now!" or something?

It's possible. It sounds like it's just semantics for actually giving that third Tuesday hour (currently 205 Live) somewhere to air in the US other than the Network. It's not actually adding another hour of weekly programming.

Yeah, judging from the report that sounds almost exactly what would happen. 205 Live would be the third hour, more or less.

[Deleted]

Mar 31, 2019 9:55:51 GMT -5 xCompackx said:

I highly doubt they’re going to convince people to not only watch another three hour show, but to watch the final hour on another network. The shows just aren’t that interesting.

I’d agree with you if this was about other programming but many wrestling fans would stop paying their mortgage if Vince told them to. I don’t think it’s too far fetched that the die hard fans would switch channels when told to.

[Deleted]

LOL.

I’m not sure which is worse making SDL 3 hours and having the final hour on a different channel or airing 205 Live in that slot. This deal is going to make a shitload of money but is ultimately going to be a bad thing for the WWE. All great empires collapse and the WWE is such a bloated mess that it is going to go downhill sooner rather than later.

[Deleted]

That sounds like a surefire way to just plain murder the show's ratings entirely. No one's going to bother changing to a much more obscure channel that they quite probably don't even have to finish the show, and with losing the third hour every week there's no point in watching the first two.

[The Heartbreak TWERK]

So they want you to watch a third hour on a show that the ratings decline up to 20% year to year, on a Friday night, and you have to change channels from hour 2 to hour 3.

Yeah, okay.

[papagiorgio]

I give it about 6 months until its poor ratings gets the entire show moved to FS1.

[4TheGlory]

Never going to happen

[Deleted]

SmackDown doesn't even use half the roster as it is.

This means we'll be seeing 40 minute matches each week. And 30 minute promos!

Why not, instead, just use that "third hour" to create a SmackDown pre-show at 7pm EST where you can use that portion of the roster for stuff besides Shane McMahon's warm bodies and catering segments?

[Deleted]

Mar 31, 2019 9:43:32 GMT -5 EoE: Well There's Your Problem said:

And somehow The Colons still won't get booked.

And Sanity.

And Shelton.

And Sin Cara.

[markymark]

SD is fine as a 2 hour show, why 3 hours and make it feel like Raw?

[wildojinx]

If hour 3 is 205 Live, does that mean it doesnt air live on WWE Network anymore?

[Perd]

Two hours is perfect. I actually think it helps with booking. The shorter time window forces them to be more succinct in their storytelling.  I know that can make things feel more truncated, and talents can get the short shrift, but give me that over the three hour aimless slog that is Raw.

[Zombie Mod]

3 hour smackdown? does that mean they'll include more raw recaps?