Fox To Demand HUGE WWE SmackDown Ratings Increase In 2019?
WWE's new network have great expectations for their big-money acquisition.
WWE SmackDown's big move from the USA Network to Fox Sports in October 2019 is expected to bring big changes to the blue brand, and it sounds like the show's new home have major expectations of their $1 billion acquisition.
Per Dave Meltzer on a recent episode of Wrestling Observer Radio, Fox want SmackDown to average a staggering 3.3 million viewers per week, forcing WWE to find a solution to their chronically declining TV ratings.
Only 1.977 million viewers watched SmackDown this week. If Meltzer's claims are true, it means WWE must boost the show's audience by over 50% between now and October, giving them just 10 minutes to right the wrongs of the past few years.
Dave anticipates that switching the Fox will result in a 25% bump right off the bat, on account of the new network being available in more homes than USA. From there, WWE must recover a further 30% of their audience to appease their new benefactors.
There's a chance Fox may second-guess their deal if WWE fail to do this, and Meltzer says this is almost a certainty if they're only getting 2.0-2.5 million viewers after a couple of months.
A gargantuan task with potentially huge ramifications. Let's hope WWE pull it off.