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WWE Brand Split confirmed to return, Smackdown to start airing live on July

Quote:

SMACKDOWN GOING LIVE ON USA NETWORK BEGINNING TUESDAY, JULY 19

SMACKDOWN to Feature Distinct Roster and Storylines

NEW YORK and STAMFORD, CONN – May 25, 2016 -- USA Network, the exclusive cable home to WWE's marquee properties, announced that its weekly SMACKDOWN show will air live – for the first time ever – and move to Tuesdays every week beginning July 19 from 8-10PM ET/PT. With the SMACKDOWN move, USA Network will now offer five hours of live WWE programming a week, including the weekly three-hour live WWE MONDAY NIGHT RAW (airing Mondays from 8-11PM ET/PT), with each show featuring a distinct cast, unique storylines and a dedicated writing team.

In 2016 to date, MONDAY NIGHT RAW is averaging 4.011MM total viewers, 1.873MM P25-54 and 1.846MM P18-49 L7, and SMACKDOWN in its current time slot is averaging 2.674MM P2+, 1.136MM P25-54, and 1.058MM P18-49+ L7, making USA the #1 cable entertainment network across the key demos on Monday and Thursday nights. In 2015, the two programs combined reached over 50MM viewers. Both shows will now air live 52 weeks a year.

"The fan base for our WWE shows is one of the most passionate and engaged audiences in all of entertainment," said Chris McCumber, President, Entertainment Networks, NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment. "There is a huge appetite among our viewers for live programming, and the ability to move SMACKDOWN to a live format brings a new level of excitement and helps truly eventize this every week."

"WWE's flagship programs will both leverage the incredible depth of our talent roster, distinct storylines and the unpredictable nature of live TV," said WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon. "This move will undoubtedly build more excitement and deepen engagement with our fans around the world."

http://www.wrestlinginc.com/wi/news/...lit-returning/

The News is getting a mixed reaction on Twitter.

It'll depend on how they do it. Could easily see them have WWE WHC, US, and Tag on one brand and IC and Women's (Both being treated as equal titles basically) on the other.

I do hope they warned the roster a couple days in advance so someone doesn't wake up to see the news and say "Wait, what"

I'm here for this, waaay too many guys and girls not being utilized so this should get them more chances.

^ Yep. Just sad that this had to happen just before Sandow, Barrett and Cody left the ranks.

I do hope SkySports5HD
let us also have Smackdown live

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jonnii (Post 8664623)

I'm here for this, waaay too many guys and girls not being utilized so this should get them more chances.

This plus it'll bring back some much needed relevance to Smackdown :clap1:

Quote:

Originally Posted by BBfanUSA (Post 8664537)

It'll depend on how they do it. Could easily see them have WWE WHC, US, and Tag on one brand and IC and Women's (Both being treated as equal titles basically) on the other.

I hope they keep the Women's championship on Raw and have IC and Tag on Smackdown instead.

Wwe have trick uk fans by moving the UK air time of smakdown to Thursday so it on the same day as in the us of bloody a or will smakerdown move to Tuesday on sky :bawling: