It was just a week ago reports were out stating that Vince McMahon took the call for WWE TV to go live from the closed-set WWE Performance Center. As a result, WWE Raw, SmackDown or NXT aired from the PC in a live format. Amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the move created major concerns since talents and crews would have to be flown, each week.
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The initial reports suggested that WWE was being proactive with staying “as close to live” as possible due to the lucrative TV contracts they’ve signed with NBC Universal and FOX to air Raw and SmackDown, respectively. The fear was a financial loss could occur if WWE was taping too many shows. The airing platforms allow only a handful of shows to be taped in a calendar year.
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The norm changes once again, this week as taped shows will begin, possibly from SmackDown onwards. WWE decided that they will tape its upcoming episodes of Raw, SmackDown, NXT, Main Event, and 205 Live from May 1 until at least July 8.
The most significant reported reason causing this change was the safety measures of the talent and crew involved in the programming due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Taped shows will reduce their traveling schedule.
On the latest episode of Wrestling Observer Radio, it was reported that both NBC Universal and FOX told Vince McMahon this past week they would not cut WWE’s money even if they tape shows ahead of airing. McMahon realized that the TV revenues were safe and made the call to go back to taping shows. Or else, he feared the primary source of their income in the present state would be in jeopardy.
Meanwhile, WWE has taken abrupt precautionary measures to clean off the Performance Center before taping this week’s Monday Night Raw,
“WWE has said to be doing “pandemic-level cleaning” at the WWE PC, along with safety measures such as, everyone wearing face masks when not performing, medical screenings before being allowed to enter any closed set, only allowing essential personnel on those sets, good hygiene and hand-washing for an appropriate amount of time, filming matches in waves, and following social distancing guidelines outside of performances.” (courtesy wrestlingINC.com)
WWE is a revenue-based company generated mostly by the live event tours they made throughout the year. Following the cancellation of all such shows in upcoming months, they have to rely on their TV deals and Vince McMahon didn’t want to put that source in a vulnerable position.
Thus the show tapings continued throughout the tough times but they still received criticism for pushing forward things during these uncertain times.