This is lousy, no more wrestling on free TV

Good job on the heel move WWE, enjoy the heat from everyone without cable or satellite. I should just start watching 24!

I CAN ONLY HOPE... haven't seen Smackdown since I got screwed by the Dish and had to go back to cable. No MyNetworkTV in our area. Thanks to Kevin I've at least been able to keep up.

I'm glad to hear of this change. I haven't watched Smackdown for a long time because where I live, it doesn't come on until 2 a.m.

That'll make it's ratings explode - if the viewership remains the same.

It better not interfere with any Twilight Zone marathons!

As an outsider i find it bizarre that WWE programming is on what is ostensibly a small niche cable network that specialises in Science Fiction and paranormal programs and barely draws, what, a 1% market share?

I guess one can draw a tenuous link between sci-fi geeks and wrestling geeks but generally it seems like a poor fit, especially for a company like WWE who likes to think of itself as cool and cutting edge.

FWIW, down here we get all WWE and TNA programming on our pay tv's flagship entertainment channel, whilst Sci Fi (it hasn't changed names here yet) is very low profile and basically caters purely for the Battlestar Galactica nerds (of which i'm not one, thankfully).

This is actually a great move. I've never had any of the channels that Smackdown has aired on.

According to pwinsider.com, the move also means that replays will be shown on Universal HD on Saturday nights, similar to the Raw and NXT replays the cable channel currently shows. A great way to catch up in case you missed anything during the week.

It sounds lucrative, but it alienates all of the people who don't have cable, since this was the only truly public show. What a shame...

This is great for everyone except those of us without cable :0(

wow, I'll finally be able to watch it again-- since it will finally be available in my area in HD.

Are the rumors spreading around true that this move is going to result in NXT getting canceled?

RESPONSE FROM KE: I don't know that to be true.

all three of WWE’s shows – Raw, Smackdown and NXT – will be under the NBC Universal umbrella

Except that Superstars airs on WGN, which is owned by Tribune. WGN also has far less market penetration. Here in Boston, Comcast doesn't carry it.

RESPONSE FROM KE: I should have said WWE's main three shows to be more accurate. I'll change that.

Very cool! Good for WWE...just as long they don't bring back SciFi ECW's "The Zombie". You know he's still alive? the only way to kill him if Orton punts him in the head. Or a brainbuster.

This is a good thing. I can't get MyNetwork on Direct TV in the Richmond Va area so I'm sure I'm not alone. I will be glad to watch Smackdown again on TV instead of online every week.

Superstars is on WGN though, so at least 1 show still isn't in the NBC/Universal family.

I read Oct 1st is the Smackdown start date, and that NXT would be off the air by then. Or at least off SyFy.

Good news for me (and who knows how many others), because my local cable system doesn't carry any MyNetwork affiliates. Even though it'll be losing a broadcast presence, I suspect that the WWE will actually gain audience by moving from a bottom-feeding broadcaster to a high-profile basic cable channel.

One other note, less pertinent to this blog: since Friday evening has been SyFy's prime slot for its original programs, I wonder what this says about its strategy going forward.

The press release today said Smackdown will be moving to Tuesday nights to replace NXT. I don't know if that means that NXT will be cancelled, or if WWE will try to put it on another channel on another night. The official debut will be on October 1, which I believe is not long after NXT's first season is over.

Unrelated to this but incase you haven't named the blog entry for Raw last night, I think the headline should read:

"Raw host Hoff the hook!"

He was awesome. hehe

According to the news release posted on WWE.com, Smackdown stays on Friday night, SyFy's original programming moves to Tuesday, and NXT will, in fact, leave SyFy when Smackdown joins the schedule in October.

The release doesn't come right out and say NXT will be canceled, but that would seem to be the most likely outcome.

Not terribly surprising... I was always impressed that WWE stayed on network primetime for almost 10 years, even longer if you count MyNetworkTV (I think it's questionable based on its limited availability).

Plus, it works well for SyFy's rebranding effort to reach a more broad-range audience with its programming. Smackdown! will be substantially more beneficial to that goal than ECW and NXT have been.

To cybrj:

You can watch Smackdown on Hulu.

"One other note, less pertinent to this blog: since Friday evening has been SyFy's prime slot for its original programs, I wonder what this says about its strategy going forward. "

It probably says that they finally hired someone who doesn't huff paint fumes and realized that their original programming is terrible.

Sorry, I read it wrong, SyFy's Friday night show is moving to Tuesday. I just read it wrong.

NBC has alot of channels under its umbrella, so why the SyFy channel, it just doesn't fit with the genre of that network.

I think its retarded bcuz sy-fy is suposed to be wut it apears a channel for science fiction shows no live real shows that can acctually happen i mean i like sy-fy but i think its a retarded move for them and the ppl who dont have cable or dish r going to be P***ED!!!

Sure you can complain about it not fitting the sci fi criteria, but ECW frequently dominated Sci Fi network's ratings. Imagine what Smackdown will do. Plus Undertaker is a bit Sci Fi so its not a total loss. And if you don't have cable or satellite then maybe its time you get it and watch WWE's true flagship show Raw. How can you be upset about not seeing WWE for free when in reality without Raw your hardly watching WWE anyway.

a couple of things I thought that this deal was done about 6 months to a year ago and secondly MYTV is also owned by NBCUniversal.

how can i see smackdown on a diffrent Channel? Other than the one it moveing to.