WWE News: FOX And USA Reportedly Growing Frustrated With Company Over Ratings Decline
According to Ringside News, executives at FOX and the USA Network are growing increasingly frustrated over WWE’s current ratings crisis.
Viewership for Monday Night Raw and Friday Night SmackDown has been dwindling since the start of the pandemic. The low numbers have been blamed on having no live audiences at the shows, but officials at both networks have reportedly described this excuse as “bullsh*t.”
The report stated that the networks are no longer willing to wait for fans to return before they start demanding changes. While there are no reports of either show being canceled, WWE will be expected to bring more viewers in order to make their business partners satisfied again.
With Monday Night Football returning, there is some concern that the flagship programs will lose even more viewers. NFL games are strong competitors for the company’s events at the best of times, and some important people are worried about what’s to come as different channels compete for the attention of sports fans.
The situation has reportedly resulted in a poor working environment as well. Sources told Ringside News that employees are walking on eggshells backstage. Stories of this ilk have been common throughout the COVID-19 crisis, with some even detailing how workers have been hiding in their cars to avoid Vince McMahon.
Disorganization might also have played a part in the declining ratings, as the product has been seen as inconsistent as of late. The latest development also highlighted how McMahon has been purportedly tearing up scripts for the shows and ordering rewrites on the days they’re set to air.
A separate update from Ringside News noted that WWE employees have been scrambling to come up with fresh ideas to appease the chairman. There is apparently no vision for storylines at the moment, and the absence of superstars and unexpected production issues have resulted in the writers returning to the drawing board.
The article also stated how WWE’s creative contributors are constantly second-guessing themselves at the moment, suggesting that morale is low and affecting their ability to do their jobs. There has been little room for collaboration as everyone allegedly wants to get away from the boss as soon as possible.
Last week’s episode of Raw marked a historic low for the red brand’s weekly program, which is reportedly why Randy Orton was left out of The Horror Show at Extreme Rules. He is scheduled for an unsanctioned match against Big Show on tonight’s edition, and WWE officials will be hoping that the showdown attracts a substantial audience.
