As announced yesterday, Spike TV has pulled out of negotiations with WWE about a new TV deal and it is likely now that WWE will return to USA Network. Here are some things to note:
– WWE was apparently not expecting Spike TV to pull out and announce it publically. This will greatly hurt their talks with USA which are still ongoing as they no longer have any leverage.
– All of the WWE cable shows included in the package (RAW, Heat, Velocity, Experience) are down sharply in the ratings compared to in 2000 when they signed the $28 million deal with Spike TV. Despite that, WWE now wanted a $40 million deal. It remains unlikely that they will get that.
– WWE had tried to get TNT, TBS, and FX to negotiate with them but none of those networks showed any interest in WWE programming. This not only bad for WWE, but a bad sign for any other wrestling promotion (mainly TNA) trying to get a major TV deal.
– Spike TV and TNA have not had any talks yet.
– Spike TV does want UFC’s “The Ultimate Fighter” back for another season.
– Spike TV feels that with the addition of “CSI: New York” five nights a week, they no longer need RAW since they will be able to air “CSI” and “CSI: New York” evernight from 8PMET – 10PMET and don’t have the baggage that is WWE’s weekend programmming to deal with.
– In a column for the Associated Press, a network executive speaking on condition of anonymity told writer David Bauder that WWE was “never as popular with the network’s advertisers as it was with viewers.” He also said that Spike TV wanted to focus more on their own scripted programs and less on reality.
