'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
WWE SmackDown is one of the more beloved wrestling shows currently airing on television. WWE SmackDown has been pulling in bigger ratings than those of WWE RAW for quite some time now during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this situation, however, it is still not easy for WWE to put on a show for WWE SmackDown on Fridays. Bruce Prichard, on his Something to Wrestle podcast (h/t 411 Mania), talked about the issues that WWE originally faced with moving WWE SmackDown to Friday nights the last time that they had hosted the show in such a position.
Readers can also check out Vince Russo's interview with Sportskeeda where he talekd about WWE's ratings decline, among other things.
Bruce Prichard on issues with WWE hosting SmackDown on Fridays revealed
Bruce Prichard is currently the combined head of creative for both WWE RAW and WWE SmackDown. He was the one to replace Eric Bischoff originally when Bischoff was removed from his position in SmackDown. Bruce Prichard talked about WWE SmackDown airing on Fridays. He said that it was a challenging night to put on live shows. Talking about this situation, he was referring to when WWE SmackDown first moved to Friday Nights in 2005. Since then WWE SmackDown aired on Tuesdays for a long time before moving back to Fridays after the FOX deal.
“I think if you had your choice, I’m not sure that Friday night would be your first or your second choice of nights of the week to put a live television show on. So yeah, it’s challenging. It’s definitely challenging when you get into the summer and nicer weather. People are staying out more and going out more, so it’s challenging to say the least. However, you’ve gotta do what the networks want you to do and you need to make moves that align with your network, and sometimes they are looking at you to be able to fill that void and hopefully bring an audience that wouldn’t necessarily normally be watching television on a Friday night to that night of the week to watch TV.”
