FRIDAY
CRAIG: 8:00 WWE Smackdown
SHILO: 8:00 WWE Smackdown
SHILO: Smackdown returns to broadcast television for the first time since it aired on The CW from 2006-2008, also on Fridays. It’s currently doing 0.7s for USA Network, which is excellent for cable in 2019, and should theoretically get a boost from Thursday Night Football promotion and airing on a bigger network. It’s even thrived on Fridays in the past, so I don’t think the move from Tuesdays to Fridays will be that much of a gut punch, especially in comparison to how scripted can suffer from similar conditions. As long as WWE Smackdown remains cost effective and the audience loyal, I think this should be a win for New FOX and a major loss for fans of broadcast scripted television.
CRAIG: I know it’ll suck for FOX to lose their strong Friday 8PM hour, but that audience will move to Tuesdays just fine. The CW really benefited from having Smackdown once a week, and I don’t think FOX will be any different.
