SmackDown® Moves to Thursday Night
November 06 2014 - 10:20AM
Business Wire
The show that averages 3.1 million viewers on Friday nights and
beats all Friday primetime viewing on any cable network is moving
to Thursday nights on Syfy beginning January 15th at 8pm ET. With
nearly 800 original episodes, SmackDown is the second
longest-running weekly episodic program in U.S. television history,
only behind WWE’s other flagship program, Monday Night
Raw®.
Iconic SmackDown moment: The Shield vs.
Randy Orton & Team Hell No: June 14, 2013 (Photo: Business
Wire)
"Quite simply, more young men watch television on Thursday night
than on Fridays,” said Michael Engleman, Executive Vice President,
Marketing, Digital and Global Brand Strategy, Syfy. “Among Men
18-49, PUTS are 15 percent higher compared to Fridays, expanding
the potential audience for SmackDown. Since the majority of
broadcast programming skews female, we're also using Thursday
nights to counter program."
“WWE’s sizable and passionate fan base make SmackDown the #1
entertainment show on Syfy and the most-watched,
regularly-scheduled program among key demographics on the network,”
said Michelle Wilson, Chief Revenue and Marketing Officer, WWE. “We
look forward to bringing the WWE audience to Thursday nights on
Syfy.”
Over the past 15 years, SmackDown has been broadcast from 170
different venues, in 148 cities and towns, in seven different
countries including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom,
Iraq, Japan, Italy and Mexico. The name SmackDown came from WWE
Superstar Dwayne “The Rock®” Johnson’s popular catchphrase,
“Lay the Smackdown®.”
About WWE
WWE, a publicly traded company (NYSE: WWE), is an integrated
media organization and recognized leader in global entertainment.
The company consists of a portfolio of businesses that create and
deliver original content 52 weeks a year to a global audience. WWE
is committed to family friendly entertainment on its television
programming, pay-per-view, digital media and publishing platforms.
WWE programming is broadcast in more than 150 countries and 30
languages and reaches more than 650 million homes worldwide. The
company is headquartered in Stamford, Conn., with offices in New
York, Los Angeles, London, Mexico City, Mumbai, Shanghai,
Singapore, Munich, Dubai and Tokyo.
Additional information on WWE (NYSE: WWE) can be found at
wwe.com and corporate.wwe.com. For information on our global
activities, go to http://www.wwe.com/worldwide/.
About Syfy
Syfy is a media destination for imagination-based entertainment.
With year round acclaimed original series, events, blockbuster
movies, classic science fiction and fantasy programming, a dynamic
Web site (www.Syfy.com), and a portfolio of adjacent business (Syfy
Ventures), Syfy is a passport to limitless possibilities.
Originally launched in 1992 as SCI FI Channel, and currently in 96
million homes, Syfy is a network of NBCUniversal, one of the
world's leading media and entertainment companies. NBCUniversal is
a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation.(Syfy. Imagine Greater.)
Trademarks: All WWE programming,
talent names, images, likenesses, slogans, wrestling moves,
trademarks, logos and copyrights are the exclusive property of WWE
and its subsidiaries. All other trademarks, logos and copyrights
are the property of their respective owners.
Forward-Looking Statements: This
press release contains forward-looking statements pursuant to the
safe harbor provisions of the Securities Litigation Reform Act of
1995, which are subject to various risks and uncertainties. These
risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, risks relating
to entering into, maintaining and renewing key agreements,
including television and pay-per-view programming and our new
network distribution agreements; risks relating to the launch and
maintenance of our new network; the need for continually developing
creative and entertaining programming; the continued importance of
key performers and the services of Vincent McMahon; the conditions
of the markets in which we compete and acceptance of the Company's
brands, media and merchandise within those markets; uncertainties
relating to regulatory matters; risks resulting from the highly
competitive and fragmented nature of our markets; uncertainties
associated with international markets; the importance of protecting
our intellectual property and complying with the intellectual
property rights of others; the risk of accidents or injuries during
our physically demanding events; risks associated with producing
and travelling to and from our large live events, both domestically
and internationally; risks relating to our film business; risks
relating to new businesses and strategic investments; risks
relating to our computer systems and online operations; risks
relating to general economic conditions and our exposure to bad
debt risk; risks relating to litigation; risks relating to market
expectations for our financial performance; risks relating to our
revolving credit facility; risks relating to the large number of
shares of common stock controlled by members of the McMahon family
and the possibility of the sale of their stock by the McMahons or
the perception of the possibility of such sales; the relatively
small public float of our stock; and other risks and factors set
forth from time to time in Company filings with the Securities and
Exchange Commission. Actual results could differ materially from
those currently expected or anticipated. In addition, our dividend
is dependent on a number of factors, including, among other things,
our liquidity and historical and projected cash flow, strategic
plan (including alternative uses of capital), our financial results
and condition, contractual and legal restrictions on the payment of
dividends, general economic and competitive conditions and such
other factors as our Board of Directors may consider relevant.
Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available:
http://www.businesswire.com/multimedia/home/20141106006027/en/
Media:Gary
Morgenstein/Syfy212-664-6407gary.morgenstein@nbcuni.comorKaren
Varga-Sinka/WWE203-352-8619Karen.Varga-Sinka@wwecorp.comorWWE
Investor:Michael
Weitz203-352-8642Michael.Weitz@wwecorp.com
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