WWE 205 Live Aired In Front Of A Very Empty Arena
The first-ever 205 Live was broadcast in front of a mostly empty arena.
WWE 205 Live aired their debut episode on Tuesday night. The problem was, most of the fans in attendance had left the venue before the show went on the air.
205 Live aired immediately following SmackDown Live on the WWE Network. It was broadcast from the same venue that SmackDown had aired in, the Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, South Carolina. Unlike WWE Superstars, which was always taped prior to SmackDown going on the air, 205 Live actually did air live after SmackDown. In other words, WWE had hoped that most of the crowd would stick around following the conclusion of SmackDown for another show. They didn't.
This guy has to somehow make this arena look full... #205Live pic.twitter.com/WZdmi5sk6L
Advertisement— Red Beard (@RasslinRedbeard) November 30, 2016
The problem was, most of the fans bought their tickets for SmackDown Live, which ended after 10:00 p.m. local time. Those in attendance who brought their children certainly were ready to take them home with school coming early on Wednesday morning. The empty seats were noticeable during the 205 Live broadcast, as was just how quiet the remaining crowd was throughout the show.
It will be interesting to see how WWE handles this moving forward. They could move the show's air time to before SmackDown, broadcasting live at 7:00 p.m. Eastern time. It'd be pretty early to air the show, but they also wouldn't be dogged by an empty arena.