Fox Sports President Eric Shanks Believes WWE SmackDown Can Rejuvenate Friday Nights
Fox Sports President and Triple H on WWE’s big move.
WWE SmackDown on Fox officially premiered this past Friday, Oct. 4, to big numbers. The show drew nearly four million viewers, making it the most-watched WWE show on U.S. television since Raw back on April 9, 2018.
Prior to the premiere, Fox Sports President Eric Shanks told the Times Union, “[SmackDown] has the potential to rejuvenate Friday nights. [WWE] haven’t had the programming and awareness that they will have on Fox. We’re hoping it will grow after the anniversary show.”
WWE viewership has slipped drastically over the years, but the move to Fox puts them in front of the biggest potential audience they’ve ever experienced.
“I think the opportunity to go to a broadcast platform with partners like Fox that not only want to take what you do and embrace it, but help you to make it something more, increases the value,” said Triple H “You’ll see changes right away. I think any show that has been on the air as long as ‘Raw’ and ‘Smackdown’ have, you’re going to have moments in time where things ebb and flow. When you look back over it, you hope that as you look back 10 years from now, you go, ‘oh, there was a little dip there but it wasn’t for long and they corrected course and got right.’”
You can find a full ratings breakdown of the SmackDown on Fox premiere by clicking here. And if you missed anything from the show, check out Fightful’s full report by clicking here.
