WWE Raw is already suffering problems due to the absence of their franchise player. Roman Reigns is on a hiatus from the flagship show of the company. He will not be available for a long time that could cause serious TV rating problems in due course. The host platform USA Network could suffer a big problem as this is a huge sports block in their programming.
Details on new TV deal for WWE Raw
Apparently, they are throwing a big challenge to the hosts of the WWE Raw. This might be intentional to make the show more impactful in the next few months. This could lead to compact start to the Road to Wrestlemania season from next year onwards. Plus, it might also ensure a smooth running of the show on USA Network once the big Survivor Series PPV gets over.
A historic deal made for Smackdown Live
Fightful.com has reported that WWE Raw will get exactly three hours to end the show. Going forward, the show has to end exactly at 11 PM EST instead of going over its scheduled time. The effect will begin right from the next episode of the show. Plus, the source also confirmed that will continue for the foreseeable future,
“The overrun would stick around even when WWE didn’t have competition. The overrun gives WWE additional screen time but also allows for flexibility on the show if a segment goes long. A source close to the situation indicated this is likely a USA Network call. Fightful.com has reached out to WWE for a comment or official statement on the matter, and they confirmed the report.”
This might be an early call by the USA Network authorities as a tough competition coming from Smackdown Live. Fans complimented this as a better show which will move on to FOX later in 2019. This is set to produce a huge challenge to the ratings of the WWE Raw programming. So, this early call might come up as an alarming bell for the producers of WWE’s flagship show.
Over the years, WWE Raw always received overruns in their programming which exceeded 11 PM slot. This was not the schedule for Smackdown Live, though who had to pull off the curtain at dot 10 PM. But the Monday Night program will have to be a little bit careful while arranging segments from next week onwards. Otherwise, fans might miss crucial main event segments.
