WWE Raw Dropped In Germany
Smackdown to follow?
Tele 5, the Germany station that airs Raw, has decided not to renew its contract for the show, which expires in March.
According to WWE Europe General Manager and Vice President Stephen Kastenmuller, Smackdown - which has a contract to air on Pro7 Maxx through March - may suffer the same fate.
Contrary to some reports, the ratings for both Raw and Smackdown have been strong on the networks - so strong, in fact, that live event attendance in Germany has gone up. The problem, according to The Wrestling Observer, is that the shows still lose money for the networks because of an inability to sell ad space. Only WWE licensees have shown any real interest in advertising on Raw and Smackdown.
Though the advertising situation hasn't changed, the deal used to be more beneficial to the networks. ProSieben, owner of Pro7 Maxx, would get a cut of the revenue from Pay-Per-View sales in Germany, but the advent of the WWE Network has erased PPV as a revenue stream.
Kastenmuller said that he is confident WWE will sign a new deal in Germany, as there is interest from numerous other channels. On WWE's part, there is fear that a move to a pay TV structure in Germany - like they had before the current contracts - will decimate live event attendance.