Adage.com has published a new article looking at the current WWE and NBC Universal deal, and analyzes how the two sides have spent the past few years trying to change WWE’s image in the hopes of attracting new TV advertisers.
With WWE Smackdown moving to USA Network in 2016, NBC Universal will have 263 hours of WWE content per year, and as a result of USA acquiring Smackdown 37 new advertisers have agreed to air ads on USA during WWE TV shows.
NBCU delivered an aggressive push to attract new advertisers to WWE TV during the upfronts this year, and while WWE is an easier sell now than it used to be, low ratings and issues with content are still keeping certain advertisers away from WWE.
“In the past, WWE wasn’t associated with being family-friendly. We had to redefine what it is to both advertisers and consumers”, said NBC Universal’s Vice President of Advertising Sales, Dan Lovinger.
As for Smackdown moving to USA, the show will serve as the lead-in for new, original USA Network content such as “Colony” premiering in January, and a new series debuting each quarter thereafter in the 10pm EST time slot.
Smackdown on USA’s first presenting sponsor will be “Hateful Eight,” the new Quentin Tarantino movie coming out at the end of this year.
Nick was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, and lived there until the age of 18, when he decided to pack his flack jacket and move to New York City.
