MyNetworkTV to air "WWE SmackDown"

By Georg Szalai

NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - News Corp.'s MyNetworkTV will be the new home of World Wrestling Entertainment's "WWE SmackDown" starting in the fall after the sports entertainment powerhouse's show ends its run on the CW Network.

Industry observers had expected a deal with MyNet, but WWE management said as recently as two weeks ago that various networks were in the running. The two parties made things official Tuesday.

"This is a big, bold franchise with huge awareness in the marketplace," MyNet president Greg Meidel said, noting that the deal came together quickly. "The brand is recognized by both men and women (in the key demographics of) 18-34 and 18-49, so it will give us a huge locomotive to drive our schedule and build it out at a much faster rate."

Meidel said "SmackDown" will remain a two-hour program, airing on Thursday or Friday night. That means the series will displace one of the network's two movie nights, which could move to Saturday.

"SmackDown" has for nine years been one of the most popular programs among males on broadcast TV and one of the top 10 English-language primetime programs among Latino households.

Said WWE chairman Vince McMahon, "We have an unmatched record of delivering ratings success to each and every network partner we've worked with in our long and storied history."

Meidel noted that the series previously aired on several News Corp.-owned stations when they were UPN affiliates, before that network merged with WB Network to form the CW in 2006.

"We have a real history of selling and monetizing 'SmackDown,"' Meidel said. "This was driven by our interest not only as a network but also as a stations owner."