NXT close on finalizing move to Tuesday starting after WrestleMania

[cero2k]

NXT CLOSE ON FINALIZING MOVE TO TUESDAY STARTING AFTER WRESTLEMANIA
source: https://www.f4wonline.com/nxt-news/nxt- ... um=twitter

It appears that the Wednesday Night War will be coming to an end as NXT and USA have been discussing moving the show to Tuesday nights -- a conversation that may be in the final stages of being put into motion.

The targeted date for the move is April 13th -- the first Tuesday after WrestleMania.

The Mat Men podcast was the first to report the story with our Dave Meltzer confirming. Meltzer couldn't confirm whether it's a done deal, but that if not, they are very close, adding it's been heavily talked about over the last seven days.

He also added that almost all the key NXT personnel haven't been told about a move.

If the move happens, it would leave the Wednesday 8 PM Eastern timeslot to AEW who moved head-to-head against NXT when they launched Dynamite in October 2019. MLW also runs on Wednesday nights, but airs before both shows.

It was believed that when NBC announced a move to fold NBC Sports Network later this year and move some of that programming to USA, the National Hockey League would present a conflict for NXT due to their Wednesday night slot on the NBC Sports Network. However, on the February investors call, WWE president Nick Khan said the shutdown would not affect or impact Raw or NXT.

It's unknown at this point what precipitated this conversation at this point in time.

While Dynamite would benefit from the move, Impact Wrestling likely would not as they also air from 8-10 PM Eastern on AXS TV and Twitch with AEW Dark airing on YouTube starting at 7 PM Eastern.

When asked repeatedly over the last year plus about moving NXT off Wednesdays, Paul "HHH" Levesque reaffirmed their stance on playing the long game and questioned why no one asked "anyone else" about moving since they were there first.

From a conference call last September, Levesque said there are always conversations around the placement of their products all the time.

"It comes down to a question of where the show best sits, not only for us, but our partners and wherever they want to go to. We're open to doing the best business we can, but it's not as simple as it's our decision and we just put the show where we want," he said.

[XIV]

Had enough of being beaten by AEW I guess!

[Big Red Machine]

Had enough of being beaten by AEW I guess!

Yup. USA likes WWE for total viewers, and splitting an audience isn't helping with that goal.

[XIV]

Had enough of being beaten by AEW I guess!

Yup. USA likes WWE for total viewers, and splitting an audience isn't helping with that goal.

So. Between the big 2x we now have

Monday - Raw
Tuesday - NXT
Wednesday - Dynamite
Thursday - None
Friday - Smackdown
Saturday - None
Sunday - PPV days.

Who has time to catch these plus any other wrestling product? I don’t have 9 hours of regular viewing plus another 3+ hours on a PPV week to watch wrestling these days. I just don’t.

[Big Red Machine]

Had enough of being beaten by AEW I guess!

Yup. USA likes WWE for total viewers, and splitting an audience isn't helping with that goal.

So. Between the big 2x we now have

Monday - Raw
Tuesday - NXT
Wednesday - Dynamite
Thursday - None
Friday - Smackdown
Saturday - None
Sunday - PPV days.

Who has time to catch these plus any other wrestling product? I don’t have 9 hours of regular viewing plus another 3+ hours on a PPV week to watch wrestling these days. I just don’t.

How dare you slight NXT UK by ignoring it on Thursday!

[XIV]

Yup. USA likes WWE for total viewers, and splitting an audience isn't helping with that goal.

So. Between the big 2x we now have

Monday - Raw
Tuesday - NXT
Wednesday - Dynamite
Thursday - None
Friday - Smackdown
Saturday - None
Sunday - PPV days.

Who has time to catch these plus any other wrestling product? I don’t have 9 hours of regular viewing plus another 3+ hours on a PPV week to watch wrestling these days. I just don’t.

How dare you slight NXT UK by ignoring it on Thursday!

I didn’t know if you guys would consider it major over there! It’s essential viewing in this house! The one wrestling show I will absolutely guarantee to catch every week!

[NWK2000]

Had enough of being beaten by AEW I guess!

Yup. USA likes WWE for total viewers, and splitting an audience isn't helping with that goal.

I don't think the audience wants to be split anymore, or at least I don't. I want time in my week to watch both live.

[XIV]

Had enough of being beaten by AEW I guess!

Yup. USA likes WWE for total viewers, and splitting an audience isn't helping with that goal.

I don't think the audience wants to be split anymore, or at least I don't. I want time in my week to watch both live.

This is the real problem, WWE won't really care too much about "losing" because there is no losing. They've made $2billion in TV and streaming deals over the last couple of years. They're lightyears ahead of AEW, but this will be about protecting the amount of eyes on their product live on TV and pleasing the network.

I can imagine the network saying "why are you running same time as them?"
"They ran same as us, to compete"
"oh, well, shall we just move it and get more audience maybe?"
"Yeah"

WWE has nothing to prove and doesn't need to run opposite AEW.

[Big Red Machine]

Had enough of being beaten by AEW I guess!

Yup. USA likes WWE for total viewers, and splitting an audience isn't helping with that goal.

I don't think the audience wants to be split anymore, or at least I don't. I want time in my week to watch both live.

This. Or at least this way if I'm busy on a Wednesday night, I now don't have to cram two shows on Thursday or Friday.

[cero2k]

This is the real problem, WWE won't really care too much about "losing" because there is no losing. They've made $2billion in TV and streaming deals over the last couple of years. They're lightyears ahead of AEW, but this will be about protecting the amount of eyes on their product live on TV and pleasing the network.

I can imagine the network saying "why are you running same time as them?"
"They ran same as us, to compete"
"oh, well, shall we just move it and get more audience maybe?"
"Yeah"

WWE has nothing to prove and doesn't need to run opposite AEW.

if you don't think Vince and Hunter's ego don't care about losing, you haven't been paying attention to their booking or their press conferences for the last year (or 40 really), it's been 99% reactionary and the rich kid trying to pretend they're not triggered.

I know, i know, AEW is the devil and the death of wrestling

[Big Red Machine]

Yup. USA likes WWE for total viewers, and splitting an audience isn't helping with that goal.

I don't think the audience wants to be split anymore, or at least I don't. I want time in my week to watch both live.

This is the real problem, WWE won't really care too much about "losing" because there is no losing. They've made $2billion in TV and streaming deals over the last couple of years. They're lightyears ahead of AEW, but this will be about protecting the amount of eyes on their product live on TV and pleasing the network.

I can imagine the network saying "why are you running same time as them?"
"They ran same as us, to compete"
"oh, well, shall we just move it and get more audience maybe?"
"Yeah"

WWE has nothing to prove and doesn't need to run opposite AEW.

As far as USA is concerned, WWE doesn't have anything to prove... but from WWE's point of view, they absolutely do care about winning. The fact that AEW has poked them so often hasn't helped things, but even if AEW hadn't poked them once, WWE would still care about winning (and, to be clear, the Wednesday thing isn't AEW's fault. TNT had a preexisting deal with the NBA that made the nights without WWE programming impossible).

[XIV]

This is the real problem, WWE won't really care too much about "losing" because there is no losing. They've made $2billion in TV and streaming deals over the last couple of years. They're lightyears ahead of AEW, but this will be about protecting the amount of eyes on their product live on TV and pleasing the network.

I can imagine the network saying "why are you running same time as them?"
"They ran same as us, to compete"
"oh, well, shall we just move it and get more audience maybe?"
"Yeah"

WWE has nothing to prove and doesn't need to run opposite AEW.

if you don't think Vince and Hunter's ego don't care about losing, you haven't been paying attention to their booking or their press conferences for the last year (or 40 really), it's been 99% reactionary and the rich kid trying to pretend they're not triggered.

I know, i know, AEW is the devil and the death of wrestling

I think in some of the earlier days sure, it was competition. But it's not like AEW are going after Raw or Smackdown, they're after the C show. I wouldn't count that as a huge loss. But in this circumstance, they have the "get out" of not admitting any defeats or anything and it was just a necessary business change. I have no doubt AEW will make jokes about this, they won't be able to help themselves BUT the main story here now is that this will be the true test of AEW now, can they pick up that Wednesday crowd that watched NXT live. If AEW doesn't rise as a result of this long-term, it has to be considered a failure on their part. and the absolute same goes for NXT.

[Big Red Machine]

BUT the main story here now is that this will be the true test of AEW now, can they pick up that Wednesday crowd that watched NXT live. If AEW doesn't rise as a result of this long-term, it has to be considered a failure on their part. and the absolute same goes for NXT.

THIS.

Now we'll find out how much of a crossover audience there really is.

[cero2k]

I think in some of the earlier days sure, it was competition. But it's not like AEW are going after Raw or Smackdown, they're after the C show. I wouldn't count that as a huge loss. But in this circumstance, they have the "get out" of not admitting any defeats or anything and it was just a necessary business change. I have no doubt AEW will make jokes about this, they won't be able to help themselves BUT the main story here now is that this will be the true test of AEW now, can they pick up that Wednesday crowd that watched NXT live. If AEW doesn't rise as a result of this long-term, it has to be considered a failure on their part. and the absolute same goes for NXT.

AEW has beaten RAW and SD in the demos in many weeks. We can tell ourselves that USA doesn't care about demos and that it's the C show, but if someone went crazy with reactionary booking, it was WWE all along.

[XIV]

I think in some of the earlier days sure, it was competition. But it's not like AEW are going after Raw or Smackdown, they're after the C show. I wouldn't count that as a huge loss. But in this circumstance, they have the "get out" of not admitting any defeats or anything and it was just a necessary business change. I have no doubt AEW will make jokes about this, they won't be able to help themselves BUT the main story here now is that this will be the true test of AEW now, can they pick up that Wednesday crowd that watched NXT live. If AEW doesn't rise as a result of this long-term, it has to be considered a failure on their part. and the absolute same goes for NXT.

AEW has beaten RAW and SD in the demos in many weeks. We can tell ourselves that USA doesn't care about demos and that it's the C show, but if someone went crazy with reactionary booking, it was WWE all along.

“Key Demos” are such an Americanism that I’ll never fully understand it.

In the UK we don’t often mark TV things by demo groups. You either have people watching it or you don’t and that’s your rating. It’s about how many eyes are on the product. What age those eyes are feels irrelevant to me.

[Big Red Machine]

I think in some of the earlier days sure, it was competition. But it's not like AEW are going after Raw or Smackdown, they're after the C show. I wouldn't count that as a huge loss. But in this circumstance, they have the "get out" of not admitting any defeats or anything and it was just a necessary business change. I have no doubt AEW will make jokes about this, they won't be able to help themselves BUT the main story here now is that this will be the true test of AEW now, can they pick up that Wednesday crowd that watched NXT live. If AEW doesn't rise as a result of this long-term, it has to be considered a failure on their part. and the absolute same goes for NXT.

AEW has beaten RAW and SD in the demos in many weeks. We can tell ourselves that USA doesn't care about demos and that it's the C show, but if someone went crazy with reactionary booking, it was WWE all along.

But we KNOW that USA doesn't care about the demos. They have other shows for that. WWE has always been the "total viewers" show for USA. Ditto for TNA. It's why pro wrestling TV has been so valuable to networks despite the low ad-rates (and WWE's ad-rates are currently the highest they have ever been).

I agree that NXT booked in a reactionary manner, but it wasn't because of the demo. It was because of total viewers.

And, by the way, this whole sudden important of the demo is a perfect illustration of why people say that "Dave is in AEW's pocket." No one was talking about the demo until AEW came along and it was something that they could use as a bragging point.

[cero2k]

But we KNOW that USA doesn't care about the demos. They have other shows for that. WWE has always been the "total viewers" show for USA. Ditto for TNA. It's why pro wrestling TV has been so valuable to networks despite the low ad-rates (and WWE's ad-rates are currently the highest they have ever been).

I agree that NXT booked in a reactionary manner, but it wasn't because of the demo. It was because of total viewers.

And, by the way, this whole sudden important of the demo is a perfect illustration of why people say that "Dave is in AEW's pocket." No one was talking about the demo until AEW came along and it was something that they could use as a bragging point.

Sounds like USA only caring for total numbers is because they know they're a channel for old people and can't draw a younger crowd even if they tried.


From WON November 23, 1998

Raw drew 5,766,000 viewers, likely its largest audience in history, to Nitro's 4,508,000 viewers. Over the final two hours and four minutes, Nitro had 4,129,000 viewers. The breakdown over the head-to-head two hours and four minutes saw Raw with 464,000 Males 18-24, 1,713,000 Males 25-54, 444,000 Males 55+, 228,000 Females 18-24, 746,000 Females 25-54, 257,000 Females 55+, 807,000 Kids and 1,154,000 teenagers; while Nitro had 412,000 Males 18-24, 1,393,000 Males 25-54, 388,000 Males 55+, 139,000 Females 18-24, 604,000 Females 25-54, 336,000 Females 55+, 357,000 Kids and 500,000 teenagers.

Dave has ALWAYS talked about demos if people cared to read and listen to him before making up these conspiracy theories to feed their anti-Dave/AEW bias, maybe they've come to terms and accept that AEW is a success.

“Key Demos” are such an Americanism that I’ll never fully understand it.

It may be a case for America only, I wouldn't be surprise, but it's 100% a thing and it's how they sell advertising, both in terms of product selection, and money invested in such spots.

[Big Red Machine]

But we KNOW that USA doesn't care about the demos. They have other shows for that. WWE has always been the "total viewers" show for USA. Ditto for TNA. It's why pro wrestling TV has been so valuable to networks despite the low ad-rates (and WWE's ad-rates are currently the highest they have ever been).

I agree that NXT booked in a reactionary manner, but it wasn't because of the demo. It was because of total viewers.

And, by the way, this whole sudden important of the demo is a perfect illustration of why people say that "Dave is in AEW's pocket." No one was talking about the demo until AEW came along and it was something that they could use as a bragging point.

Sounds like USA only caring for total numbers is because they know they're a channel for old people and can't draw a younger crowd even if they tried.


From WON November 23, 1998

Raw drew 5,766,000 viewers, likely its largest audience in history, to Nitro's 4,508,000 viewers. Over the final two hours and four minutes, Nitro had 4,129,000 viewers. The breakdown over the head-to-head two hours and four minutes saw Raw with 464,000 Males 18-24, 1,713,000 Males 25-54, 444,000 Males 55+, 228,000 Females 18-24, 746,000 Females 25-54, 257,000 Females 55+, 807,000 Kids and 1,154,000 teenagers; while Nitro had 412,000 Males 18-24, 1,393,000 Males 25-54, 388,000 Males 55+, 139,000 Females 18-24, 604,000 Females 25-54, 336,000 Females 55+, 357,000 Kids and 500,000 teenagers.

Dave has ALWAYS talked about demos if people cared to read and listen to him before making up these conspiracy theories to feed their anti-Dave/AEW bias, maybe they've come to terms and accept that AEW is a success.

“Key Demos” are such an Americanism that I’ll never fully understand it.

It may be a case for America only, I wouldn't be surprise, but it's 100% a thing and it's how they sell advertising, both in terms of product selection, and money invested in such spots.

I listened to Dave daily from 2014 to 2020 and never remember hearing the term "the demo" or any concern about how WWE was doing in it until AEW came along and did better than NXT in it.

[XIV]

[

“Key Demos” are such an Americanism that I’ll never fully understand it.

It may be a case for America only, I wouldn't be surprise, but it's 100% a thing and it's how they sell advertising, both in terms of product selection, and money invested in such spots.

I hear you, there’s probably a thing about it behind the scenes and in the advertising, but it’s just not something discussed here, so it’s not something I’ve really ever understood, but the overall point is, who cares about the “key demo” if it’s for advertising revenue only? Like, business wise, I’m sure the companies help sell advertising on it, great.

But in terms of eyes in the product. Surely it’s just that total number or average number of people who tuned in during that episode? I don’t think beating anyone on key demos matters for anything if you’re losing overall. A 50 year old fan can be as valuable as a 25 year old fan.

[cero2k]

I listened to Dave daily from 2014 to 2020 and never remember hearing the term "the demo" or any concern about how WWE was doing in it until AEW came along and did better than NXT in it.

(1) why would it matter if there isn't competition?
(2) didn't you say that USA wasn't looking at demos?