Syfy Pins Down 'Smackdown' Franchise
Network Will Premiere `Smackdown' In October
By R. Thomas Umstead -- Multichannel News, 4/13/2010 12:08:51 PM
Syfy traded up World Wrestling Entertainment franchises Tuesday, acquiring the popular Friday Night SmackDown series in a multi-year deal and dropping its WWE NXT reality series franchise beginning in October.
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Friday Night Smackdown
yfy will air the two-hour, weekly Friday Night Smackdown series, currently airing on broadcast station MyNetworkTV, on Fridays -- traditionally a night slated for the premiere of Syfy original series -- beginning Oct. 1, according to Syfy officials.
The 10-year old SmackDown franchise averages more than 3.4 million viewers a week, according to Syfy officials.
Syfy will move its original shows such as Carpica and Sanctuary to Tuesday nights, replacing the WWE NXT reality series, which launched this past February. The WWE is talking to other networks about distributing WWE NXT but no deals are imminent, according to company officials.
"The fantastical thrills of Friday Night SmackDown provide an ideal addition to the Syfy slate, as it targets the younger male and female demographics, which are the fastest growing categories for WWE," said Syfy president Dave Howe in a statement. "With Tuesday night, a proven winner for our original drama series including Warehouse 13, there is bigger opportunity for series such as Stargate Universe, Sanctuary and Caprica to thrive on a night with a significantly larger number of viewers available to watch live."
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