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#4 Making WWE a legitimate sport
When WWE secured the Fox deal and moved to Fridays, it was rumored to be worth a billion dollars over 5 years. When the deal was announced, WWE's press release clearly stated,
"The weekly, two-hour live event will air 52 weeks a year and captivate fans with a unique combination of edge-of-your-seat action, unpredictable drama and world-class athleticism."
The ratings for the SmackDown on Fox debut nearly garnered 4 Million viewers.
In the age of WWE Network and declining ratings, those numbers are unprecedented. Of course, the premiere had several stars participating including The Rock, as well as former UFC Champion Brock Lesnar, who defeated Kofi Kingston in the main event to become the new WWE Champion. Throw in Tyson Fury and you can understand how WWE was trying to come off as a legitimate sport.
It's possible those numbers go down in the coming weeks, as most season premieres for any TV show start off high and tend to flatten out over time. Still, many in the mainstream were talking about the arrival of Cain Velasquez and the beatdown he gave Brock Lesnar. The show got people talking and Fox executives were probably happy with the results. They can only hope the trend continues.
