What’s the Story?
Fans were in an uproar once Talking Smack was cancelled as a weekly program, with many citing the low viewership as the reason why it is nixed. However, the latest report on WWE Network programming suggests that Talking Smack and 205 Live are viewed a lot more than people think.
According to WWE Network News, 205 Live and Talking Smack were in the top ten for network content for the week ended July 16, 2017.
In case you didn’t know...
Talking Smack was cancelled as a weekly program following a statement from WWE claiming the decision was backed by viewership and subscriber data. However, a report from Sports Illustrated claimed that Vince McMahon ultimately made the decision to cut it due to the unscripted nature of the show.
The heart of the matter
The following are the top ten programs on the WWE Network according to WWE Network News:
NXT 401 (07/12/2017)
WWE Great Balls of Fire
WWE 24: Kurt Angle – Homecoming
WWE 24: Finn Balor
205 Live 33 (07/11/207)
WWE Talking Smack (07/11/2017)
WrestleMania 33
NXT 400 (07/05/2017
WWE Ride Along (Wilkes-Barre Way)
Music Power 10
According to the website, this data is a result of on demand viewing and doesn’t include any live feeds. The data on the list represents 5 days of data from the previous week and puts 205 Live and Talking Smack at the top for on demand viewing.
What’s next?
Talking Smack will now air only after pay-per-views, and it will eventually be phased out altogether. Expect the next edition of the show to air after WWE Battleground, which will take place on July 23, 2017.
Author’s take
While it is possible that there could be issues with live viewership, the on-demand numbers seem to indicate that there is a demand for Talking Smack, which means that the decision to stop airing it on a weekly basis is puzzling.
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