Fox Chief Charlie Collier Compares WWE Ratings Risk to Network’s NFL Deal in the ’90s

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Fox spent roughly a billion dollars bringing pro-wrestling series “SmackDown Live” to its broadcast network for the next five years — but that was before TV ratings for WWE programming really started to decline. With all that money and time invested, and Nielsen numbers not exactly trending in the *right* direction, TheWrap asked Fox Entertainment CEO Charlie Collier something we’ve been asked by lots of WWE fans lately: Are there protections in place should “SmackDown Live” not set the world on fire this fall and going forward? “I’m a guy that came out of cable, and for the last few decades in cable, what’s driven the No. 1 network has been wrestling,” Collier responded at the Television Critics Association press tour. “And so for us to have a consistent presence is thrilling.” He was referring to USA Network there. The NBCUniversal-owned cable channel will keep WWE flagship series “Monday Night Raw” on a longterm basis. “SmackDown,” which has aired Tuesdays on USA, will move to Fox — and Fridays — this October, as exclusively reported by TheWrap. We also first reported that “SmackDown” will remain live. Also Read: Emmys to Go Hostless This Year, Fox Entertainment CEO Charlie Collier Says...
 
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