MyNet vs. CW ratings smackdown

Neither the CW nor MyNetworkTV want to turn WWE moving homes Friday night into a contest between the networks ... so let's do it!

The case for MyNet: The MyNet premiere of "WWE Friday Night SmackDown" (3.2 million viewers, 1.0/3 adults 18-49 rating) put the newbie net up 150% in the demo compared to the previous week. The CW instead aired burn-off comedies "Everybody Hates Chris" (0.8/3) and "The Game" (0.8/3), followed by an "America's Next Top Model" repeat (0.6/2). That left CW down 50% from its final telecast of "Smackdown" the previous week.

The case for the CW: "SmackDown" lost 29% of its adult demo rating changing networks and CW comedies did better on Friday than they did on Sundays. Also, let's not forget CW dumped the wrestling franchise because it was expensive and didn't fit the CW brand.

Winner: MyNet. MyNet's brand is "anything that gives us a triple-digit percentage increase," so cares if WWE viewers can't be enticed to watch "Celebrity Expose." Plus, MyNet beat CW on Friday, and a win is a win. "Sixth place" ... don't like the sound of that, do you CW? Well, don't hate the player, hate "The Game."

Comments

[Christian Calaway]

Love it! Vindication! Dawn Ostroff wants the CW to be Lifetime-lite. They want to go after women. We'll, I think we all see how well that's working out for them. What sense does it make to get rid of your number one program, regardless of whether or not it fits in with the rest of your programming. (By the way, just as many women like wrestling as men. Women look up to the Divas and want to sleep with the wrestlers.) It was on a night when, in theory, no one watches television anyway. Should have left well enough alone. I hope Ostroff can find employment elsewhere when the CW finally goes out of business. (I'm hoping for the end to come this season, but we might have to suffer through another year before the powers that be finally throw in the towel.) Haha, I love it. Go WWE. Goodbye CW.

[Obveeus]

WWE Smackdown goes up in cost and down in viewers. 'Vindication' indeed.

[Christian Calaway]

Of course it's going to go down in viewers. It's moved to a network that most people don't even know about. I think it did very well in its opening week.

[Shiny]

It's oddly exhilarating to see the CW spinning down the drain, even though I still love Smallville. I wonder how the 90210 ratings crash will affect the CW. The WB and CBS corp plastered the net with the news of the very temporary ratings hike obtained by airing 90210 before the real TV season began. But now that all shows have premiered and 90210 is in the toilet I don't see how the CW can continue to limp on. Tribune Co. has already dumped the CW brand on the stations it owns. How low can the CW go before it finally calls it quits?

[JONNIE]

PLEASE LET THE CW NETWORK COME BACK PLEASE
I MISS IT LET IT COME BACK ON CW NETWORK

[JONNIE]

I DON'T GET THE MY NETWORK TV AND
I WOULD LIKE THE NEW CHANGE BACK TO
THE C W NETWORK PLEASE MR. McMAHON
PLEASE LET KEEP FRIDAY SMACKDOWN ON THE
C W NETWORK

[ken]

Please Mr. McMahon. bring Smackdown back to CW Network. We do not get My Network TV. it in Taunton Ma. Alot off people we I live watch your showa but we do not get the network and we miss it.

[jess]

I dont get my network tv and do not get to watch smackdown now that u took it away. And u wonder why the cw was down because half the people that watched it dont get the new channel. Which there are alot of upset people because they no longer can watch smackdown and im one of them move it back!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[DJ]

Please put Friday night smack down back on The CW!!! I was devastated when I could not watch my favorite T.V. show anymore!!! Now because you moved my T.V. show to My Network T.V. I will not be able to watch it anymore because I do not get My Network T.V. on my T.V. set!!! So Mr. McMahon will you please please put Friday Night Smack Down back on The CW, so I can watch my favorite T.V. show again?

[Randy Taylor]

Been watching smackdown since the first show, have only missed no more than a dozen shows,went to watch last week and it was not on, football was in it's place, did find out it was coming on at 10:30, after reading about CW going down the drain, I understand a little, but need to work with the network to make sure that it comes on when advertise.
thanks from a
old wrestling fan.....

[Donna]

I am also upset that Smackdown has had to move. I have DirecTV,that while it carries MyNetwork,it unfortunately doesn't have access here where I live :(

I wish it would either go back to CW or go to USA!

[deborah]

i will watching smackdown on mynetworktv.

[JONNIE]

LET FRIDAY NIGHT SMACKDOWN COME BACK ON TO
THE CW NETWORK OR UPN NETWORK I MISS IT AND
I WAS A BIG FAN OF THE WORLD WRESTLING ENTERTAINMENT
AND I WILL ALWAYS BE YOUR TOP NO.1 FAN OF ALL TIMES. I
REMEMBER THE FIRST MONDAY NIGHT RAW TOKE PLACE IN THE
EARLY DAYS OF THE 80'S AND DO YOU KNOW WHAT I ENJOY WATCH THE SHOWS THAT YOU PUT ON FOR THE WORLD WRESTLING ENTERTAINMENT LIKE RAW AND SMACKDOWN

[bobby]

well yall are a bunch of loosers. maybe if yall had cable u wld have mynetwork. oh and i watch smackdown and when i cant, i record it.hahahaha so get a life.

[Antonio]

I WANT FRIDAY NIGHT SMACKDOWN TO COME BACK TO CW!!!!

RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW, AND I WILL FIGHT FOR IT!

I have not got a chance to see my favorite TV show.
Let's have CW & MyNetworkTV have a match, or smackdown can both be on CW or MyNetworkTV.

Any questions, feel free to emil me.

[Vlank]

If you miss friday night smackdown, I suggest that you download it online then. Someone might post the one you miss if you're lucky.

[Stephanie]

I have a 9 year old boy that loves wrestling, he has over 35 of the wrestlers that he plays with and we are not able to even get the CW channel with dishnetwork, he normally has to go to a friends house to see it on Friday night, we would like to see it be aired on a channel like Raw is on Monday night (USA). We already pay enough per month for cable.