The WrestleMania 32 encore presentation on ESPN on Sunday night drew 720,000 viewers and a 0.25 rating in the 18-49 demo. That is down from the WrestleMania XXX show the previous week which did 839,000 viewers. ESPN will air WrestleMania 35 this Sunday head-to-head with WrestleMania 36 night two. (Ratings credit: Showbuzzdaily.com)
FITE TV to carry WrestleMania for the first time ever
In another bid to expand the number of outlets carrying WrestleMania, WWE has struck a deal with FITE TV which will see the service offer WrestleMania in the United States and select international territories.
In the United States, if you buy each WrestleMania night separately it will cost you $34.99 but if you get the weekend pack you get it for $59.99 which is the regular price being charged by most pay-per-view providers. For non-U.S. countries, the weekend pack is listed at $14.99 and with unlimited replays until May 5. The two Kickoff shows are also listed as airing on FITE for free.
This is the first time that a WWE show is being broadcast by FITE which is a competitor of the WWE Network.
WrestleMania is available for free for first-time subscribers to the WWE Network. To start your 30-day free trial go to http://w-o.it/wwentwrk.
Sony Pictures Networks in India extend WWE TV deal for another five years
Sony Pictures Networks India Private Limited and WWE today announced a five-year extension with an expanded broadcast agreement that will deliver WWE’s weekly flagship programming and localized content in India and the Indian subcontinent, making SPN the exclusive home to WWE in-ring content across its television and digital platforms.
As part of the agreement, SPN will have the rights to air Raw, SmackDown, NXT as well as WWE pay-per-view specials live on its sports and digital platforms in English, Hindi and regional languages.
The expanded partnership also provides SPN the rights to WWE Network which hosts thousands of hours of content to be made available to audiences in India exclusively through SonyLIV, SPN’s OTT platform. In addition and for the first time, SPN will curate content from WWE’s extensive video library which includes live events, iconic matches, interviews with Legends, reality shows, documentaries and more, on its own platforms.
WWE will also return to India with even bigger live events and Superstars will visit the region for promotional tours to engage with fans.
Rajesh Kaul, Head Sports and Chief Revenue Officer Distribution, Sony Pictures Networks India, said, “WWE has been consistently ranking in the top three properties across all sports networks in India, dominating the sports entertainment space. We are delighted to extend our partnership with WWE in a first of its kind deal that will give us an increased exposure to valuable content and reach out to a broader viewer base across India on multiple platforms.”
James Rosenstock, WWE Executive Vice-President, International, added, “India is a strategically important market for WWE and Sony Pictures Networks has been an extraordinary partner in helping to grow our fanbase in the region making it one of the most-watched sports properties. The expanded partnership gives our passionate fans new opportunities to engage with the WWE brand.”
WrestleMania Kickoff shows to air on FS1 as FOX Sports to offer Mania on PPV and other programming
FOX Sports is teaming up with WWE this WrestleMania week including the availability of the pay-per-view itself for $59.99 on the FOX Sports and FOX NOW apps. The WrestleMania Kickoff shows on both nights will also be airing on FS1 and FOX Deportes on Saturday and Sunday starting at 6PM ET.
Also, FOX Sports will be presenting 22 hours of WWE content this spring with shows ranging from old pay-per-views to the Ruthless Aggression series, and the new Best Of WWE series.
“We’re pleased to offer this new slate of WWE programming for viewers during these challenging times,” said Mark Silverman, President, National Networks, FOX Sports. “We hope this lineup of sports entertainment programming serves as a much-needed relief for fans. We appreciate the hard work and creativity of the teams on both sides of our long-term partnership with WWE.”
A full programming schedule including all events and specials will follow at a later date. In the meantime, tonight starting at 7PM ET, FS1 will air the Royal Rumble and will be followed by a modified remote format of WWE Backstage at 11PM ET with Renee Young, Booker T, Paige, and Mark Henry as they join from their own home to discuss the latest news ahead of WrestleMania.
“Six months after our historic partnership brought Smackdown to its new home on FOX, we are thrilled to deliver even more premium programming, including WrestleMania, across the entire FOX Sports portfolio,” said Stephanie McMahon, WWE Chief Brand Officer. “In partnership with FOX Sports, it’s a privilege to be able to entertain our fans each week and put smiles on their faces particularly during a time when they need it the most.”
Tried and tested sports betting strategies
Dipping your hand into sports betting is something you should do in a calculated and strategic manner. You cannot bet blindly and just trust in your luck all the time. There are a lot of factors you have to consider in making the decision of pursuing a choice or not. The first rule is, you cannot bet on something you do not know about. If you want to start sports betting, you have to know the nature of the sport you are going for and have massive faith in the team or player you are betting on. Aside from these, you should make decisions based on strategies that have worked, time and time again. Below are some of the tried and tested strategies that will not only maximize your earnings, but will also ensure your safety and security against internet scams.
Do Some Research
Since prior knowledge is very valuable in sports betting, doing some research can help you immensely. Get to know the game and this includes knowing all the technicalities, scoring mechanisms, and even the terms and jargons used. When you know all of this, you get to communicate well and not get lost in the heat of highly-anticipated matches and games.
Review the previous games of the team you are betting, even the latest news about them are relevant. If you can foresee that they have a massive winning possibility, place your bets. Look at all the statistics because numbers do not lie and they often give useful predictions not only on your team but especially with the opposition. The more you know, the more you can anticipate their moves.
The Psychology of Sports
Believe it or not, Psychology is also a helpful tool for analysis, especially on the behavior of the players or team. Sports Psychology banks on the observation of human behavior as they engage in games. According to bet3000 sportwetten, betting on a player or team that has been consistently in their playing patterns are more likely to yield favorable results. This is not just in winning stakes, but also in determining the losses to be incurred by an opponent team. Both should be balanced as you get an overall picture of the results in general, if both sides of the parties are carefully observed.
Using Predictive Models
After doing your research, you can now proceed to the next phase, which is also the most important part to execute the decision. You have to interpret all the information you have gathered in your research. This would ensure that you depend on objective thinking instead of pure and careless instinct.
Predictive models often come with a formula to produce the scenarios that would most probably be the result. Some people even make this their business, they give advice on the next game outcome by giving reports and analyses. People who seek such advice are those who have big money at stake. Once a certain strategy is working, better stick to it and employ it again the next time you bet.
Strategies are needed to make informed and wise decisions. Doing so blindly will lead you to more chances of losing money, time, and effort. In order to succeed in your next sports betting, start with your research now so everything can follow smoothly from there.
Kabuki Warriors to put WWE Women’s Tag Team titles on the line at WrestleMania
The WWE Women’s Tag Team titles will be on the line at WrestleMania this weekend as The Kabuki Warriors will be taking on Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross.
The four women have been going at it for the past few weeks on Smackdown and last week Alexa Bliss even defeated Asuka clean with a DDT. Asuka and Kairi Sane won their titles from Bliss and Cross on an episode of Raw in August last year.
In other Mania news, former EVOLVE champion and current NXT star Austin Theory will be replacing Andrade at WrestleMania and tagging with Angel Garza to take on The Street Profits for the Raw Tag Team titles.
Theory was introduced last night on Raw by Zelina Vega as Andrade’s replacement since her main client has a rib injury and was not cleared to compete. Theory is one of the youngest, brightest stars out there right now and just recently signed a WWE deal.
All Elite Wrestling introducing fourth title named the TNT Championship
All Elite Wrestling is introducing its fourth main title named the TNT Championship in honor of their television home TNT.
To determine the new champion, an eight-man, single-elimination tournament will take place and matches will start on Wednesday, April 8 with the final match scheduled to take place so far at Double or Nothing in Las Vegas on Saturday, May 23. If that event takes place in Vegas remains to be seen.
Tonight on AEW Dark, the company will reveal half of the bracket while the rest of the bracket will be revealed tomorrow on Dynamite.
“It’s been a privilege working with Kevin Reilly and TNT to bring fans the best live wrestling show week after week on AEW: DYNAMITE, especially during these tumultuous times,” AEW President Tony Khan said.
“I’m glad we’re now able to announce the TNT CHAMPIONSHIP. The first ever titleholder will be determined by an unforgettable tournament that fans will not want to miss, and that our wrestlers will be desperate to win. I’m excited for the announcement of the full bracket live on Dynamite this week. And, it’s only fitting that the champion and the title belt will carry the logo of the globally-respected TNT brand, and that they’ll represent not only AEW but also the great quality programming, massive reach, and storied history in the wrestling business that are all associated with TNT.”
Roman Reigns discusses why he pulled out of WrestleMania 36
In a very long video posted on social media, Roman Reigns discussed why he had to pull out of WrestleMania and noted the irony that when he always showed up, fans didn’t want him there and now that he’s not there, he’s being called a coward.
“All you know is what you think. ‘Oh, well, his health and this and that.’ But you don’t know what else is going on in my life. You don’t know if I have newborns, you don’t know if I have family in my household…older family. So, yeah, just like the old saying, man. Go and flip that cover open and read a few pages, get into a few chapters before you really start running your mouth,” Reigns explained.
He said that everyone should take this time to better themselves and make the most out of this bad situation because if we people can’t grow in a time like this, then the rest of the world doesn’t have have a chance.
“For all my fans…I’m sorry I didn’t get to compete this year and put on a show and entertain, but sometimes things are more important and I had to make a choice for me and my family. But no matter what, you already know the deal, man. I showed up. I made the town…I made it to Orlando…and I had to make a decision for me,” Roman added. “But it doesn’t take anything away from what I’ve done and what I’m going to do. I still love this game, I still love pro wrestling, sports entertainment. I love being in the ring, it’s a little weird being in the ring when nobody’s watching, nobody in the arena. But man, I’m ready to get back to work. And I’m just taking these times, this little bit of time we have, to build up the outside and come as close as possible to perfecting the inside.”
The Bump the only live broadcast on WWE Network during WrestleMania week
As crazy as it may sound, The Bump show will be the only program streaming live during WrestleMania week as all broadcasts, including Raw, NXT, Smackdown, and WrestleMania have already been pre-recorded.
In a release issued today, WWE announced the full list of WWE Network programs that will complement WrestleMania this week and the Saturday and Sunday episodes of The Bump are the only ones listed as live. The Bump will start streaming on the WWE Network and YouTube at 1PM ET on both days.
The Bump is hosted by Kayla Braxton along with Matt Camp, Dan Vollymayer, Ryan Pappolla, and Evan T. Mack.
WWE also announced that there will be a Kickoff show for each night of WrestleMania but these will be one hour each and not two as in the past. The description is listed as “WWE experts join the Kickoff panel to break down the biggest matches of WrestleMania 36.”
Edge details his comeback story in ESPN interview
WWE Hall of Famer Edge will be getting his first one-on-one match in a WWE ring in nine years this weekend when he faces Randy Orton in a last man standing match at WrestleMania. But how did his comeback started?
Speaking to ESPN ahead of WrestleMania, Edge said that it all started when he was riding a mountain bike competing with Sheamus and hit one jump and wiped out at 25mph. After feeling pretty good despite the nasty bump, Edge went to see a doctor to check on his spine and was told that everything looks perfect.
The former WWE champion then went to Birmingham, Alabama for a check-up with the folks at Andrews Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Center and then followed it with WWE’s chief medical doctor Dr. Joseph Maroon in Pittsburgh who gave him the go ahead to return to the ring.
Edge explained how he couldn’t go to the WWE Performance Center to train since it would blow the surprise so WWE sent him a ring and he rented a warehouse where he trained in Asheville, North Carolina, with both The Revival dropping in to help him get back in shape.
You can read the full story on ESPN.COM.
Is wrestling with no fans a good idea?
The coronavirus outbreak has been damaging to the sports and entertainment business. We have seen episodes of both RAW and Smackdown take place behind closed doors recently, which was a little strange, to say the least.
Keeping wrestling going is great for fans, and it may even attract new viewers because there is little else to choose from on TV right now. However, is wrestling with no fans a good idea, and could it do long-term damage if it continues for weeks and possibly months?
Does Wrestling Need Fan Interaction and an Atmosphere?
The feeling is that wrestling comes to life when superstars interact with the fans at ringside and when an atmosphere builds inside an arena. Without that, no matter how good the battle is that takes place in the squared-circle, things seem a little flat.
Should we be happy with this, as it is the only option, or should things be paused to allow fans back into arenas, so that wrestling can continue to put the kind of show on we come to expect?
The latest news from the WWE is that WrestleMania will take place behind closed doors next month. The show has been moved from Tampa Bay and will be on a closed set at the Performance Center, with no fans at all. That won’t stop people from watching at home but will take something away from the atmosphere ringside.
Those who are watching from home will likely include some people who are placing bets on the action. WrestleMania is one of the biggest events of the year, and as such betting markets will be freely available. For those looking to get involved, you can claim free bets on the match over at https://www.maxfreebets.co.uk/ for some added value.
The card for WrestleMania is building up now as the event approaches. We have seen three new matches added to the card in recent days, and that is not likely to be the end of it. One thing we can say for certain is that if the event goes ahead behind closed doors then the WWE will want to make the event as big and appealing as possible, and that will only come through the matches that are on show.
Things remain up in the air, and the effect of wrestling with no fans remains to be seen over the coming weeks and months.
It’s WrestleMania week…but…
It’s WrestleMania week…but unlike any other WrestleMania week, there won’t be any community outreach, no fan Axxess, no glamour of the Hall of Fame, no Takeover, no meet and greets throughout the host city, no day-long media appearances…and hell, not even a live WrestleMania.
What is usually a week filled with over 70,000 fans coming from all corners of the world, this will be a pretty subdued occasion, so subdued that WWE has already taped WrestleMania a week-and-a-half in advance. It is safe to say that the coronavirus outbreak has pretty much altered the way we lived for the past month or so and who knows for how many more to come.
This WrestleMania will certainly go down in history not just because it’s spread over two nights, but because it is held in one of the smallest buildings with no fans in attendance. None. Zero. There won’t be any record attendance announced this year and WWE won’t be able to gloat about the economic impact that WrestleMania left in the host city.
Tampa Bay has been trying to get a hold of WrestleMania for a few years and finally managed to win the bid but as luck would have it, a virus outbreak took that away from them too. Dozens of hotels, many of which were charging over $300 a night during Mania week, ended up with no guests at all and restaurants that would have been buzzing with clients are now temporarily closed.
Tons of independent shows and events surrounding WrestleMania had to cancel as well because let’s face it, without the WWE fans in town, there was no way they would have sold out on their own.
The idea of postponing WrestleMania to a later date was floated around but in the end, the powers that be chose to go ahead and still hold it at the Performance Center in front of nobody and to minimize the risk, pre-record it as well.
Was it a good idea to go ahead with the show? Who knows…we’ll find out in a few more days. But one thing is for sure, the buzz that accompanies WrestleMania week is definitely not there this time around.
Triple H says WWE talent and crew are not forced to work PC shows
In an interview with SportsCenter, Triple H said that all the talent and crew who are working these WWE Performance Center shows are there because they want to and not because anyone is forcing them to do it.
He did acknowledge that some chose not to be there because either they felt it could be a risk towards their health or someone close to them and did mention that Roman Reigns was one of them.
WWE has so far not mentioned anything officially that Roman Reigns is out of WrestleMania and continues to promote a match that in reality was never taped and it’s not happening with just days to go to the show.
Triple H said he didn’t want to get into the specifics of WrestleMania because it’s a “must watch and see show” when quizzed about the altered plans for Goldberg/Reigns.
A handful of WWE Superstars were not allowed to participate on the show also because they were ill including Dana Brooke, Rey Mysterio, The Miz, Murphy, and Andrade wasn’t cleared to compete because he had a rib injury.
Nearly seven hours of WWE action on ESPN tonight
There’s going to be a lot of WWE on ESPN tonight with wrestling taking over the sports network from 4:30PM ET to 11PM ET.
It all starts at 4:30 with WWE: Behind the Curtain, a one-hour presentations from E:60 Pictures. The documentary featured unprecedented, behind-the-scenes access to the making of a WWE Superstar with ESPN cameras filming in places where no other cameras have ever been allowed. WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon and a bunch of WWE Hall of Famers were all interviewed for the documentary which was filmed at the WWE Performance Center in 2014 and 2015.
At 5:30, it’s another ESPN production with the 30 for 30: Nature Boy airing. Originally aired in 2017 with nearly 2 million viewers tuning in, this documentary was shot over two years with ESPN following Ric Flair to tell his life story. It’s an incredible documentary which was received incredible feedback from critics and fans.
And then at 7, ESPN will air WrestleMania 32 in full which was headlined by Roman Reigns taking on Triple H. This WrestleMania holds the record for the largest-ever attended WWE show with over 100,000 fans in attendance.
Chris Jericho explains how AEW filmed the Matt Hardy teleportation from Dynamite
During a live chat with fans, Chris Jericho explained some behind the scenes stuff that went down when the crew was ready to tape the Matt Hardy teleportation for Wednesday’s Dynamite.
In case you didn’t know, Hardy teleported himself to various sections of the arena on Wednesday before he entered the ring for his face-to-face with Chris Jericho.
“If you liked it, that’s all on me. If you don’t like it, that’s still all on me because it was my idea,” the former AEW champion explained.
Jericho said that they filmed a version of it the night before but he wasn’t there and when he saw it on Wednesday he didn’t really like it as it wasn’t exactly what he envisioned the segment would be.
The crew then decided to film it before AEW Dynamite went live on TNT however there was a problem. As this segment was airing later in the night, the sun was still setting down before 8PM so they couldn’t do it considering there would be different lighting during the segment.
Jericho added that the Darby Allin vs Kip Sabian match was the only thing not live on Wednesday so they decided to air that first and during the time that the match was going on, they went out and filmed the teleportation tidbit at 8:15PM and only had 15 minutes to complete it.
After they were done at 8:30PM, they got in the truck with all the footage 10 minutes later and the editing was done by 9PM with the segment ready to roll at 9:30PM.
Jericho admitted that it wasn’t perfect and in fact the editing of the segment was far from that but they did the best they could do considering the circumstances. “If it seemed strange ad odd, it’s because it was,” Jericho concluded.
Smackdown rating for 03/27/2020
Friday Night Smackdown on FOX did 2,374,000 viewers yesterday off 2,393,000 viewers in the first hour and 2,355,000 in the second hour. That is down 133,000 viewers from last week’s show. Smackdown did a 0.7 in the 18-49 demo and got beat by Hawaii Five-O, Shark Tank, and Blue Bloods in the demo. (Ratings credit: Showbuzzdaily.com)
Uncensored episodes of Broken Skull Sessions coming to WWE Network next week
The uncensored versions of Steve Austin’s Broken Skull Sessions are coming to the WWE Network with all episodes coming on Tuesday.
These uncensored episodes will not be part of the live feed and will only be available on the On Demand section of the WWE Network. As you can imagine, there’s a bit of swearing on every episode of Broken Skull Sessions and WWE muted all the bad words. But starting Tuesday, all the cussing will be available for your viewing pleasure with shows being marked TV MA. Broken Skull Sessions episodes include so far The Undertaker, Goldberg, Kane, Big Show, and Bret Hart.
In other related Network news, the website WWENetworkNews.com is reporting that the next WWE 24 episode will feature the return of Edge and is titled Edge: The Second Mountain.
This hour-long episode will premiere on the WWE Network immediately following the second night of WrestleMania 36 on Sunday, April 5th. This is the third WWE 24 episode of 2020 so far with the other two being R-Truth and WrestleMania 35.
Becky Lynch talks with ESPN’s Ariel Helwani ahead of WrestleMania 36
Current Raw Women’s champion Becky Lynch had a 20-minute interview with ESPN’s MMA Ariel Helwani to promote next week’s WrestleMania.
The interview was done via video chat and Becky discussed a variety of subjects including what it meant to have her family at ringside last year when she main evented WrestleMania, hooking up with Seth Rollins, her match against Shayna Baszler, Ronda Rousey, her favorite Mania moments, and of course the current situation.
Lynch said that that WWE is running a smooth operation at the Performance Center and they are staggering everything in terms of filming and if someone has no reason to be there then “they get the hell outta there.” She said if you have a promo or a match, then you’re brought in with the minimal crew possible to shoot whatever you need to shoot and then you’re off. She added that doctors greet you at the Performance Center who take everyone’s temperature, give you a questionnaire, you get tested and then off you go.
She said she hopes WWE allows them to isolate themselves for a few weeks before they are allowed go back out into the world once things return to normal.
Before ending, Becky told everyone everyone to stay hopeful and keep the faith because this is not going to last forever and we will get out of this better than ever before.
You can check it out below.
Different ways, and prices, on how to watch the two-night WrestleMania 36
For the first time ever, WrestleMania will be on two consecutive nights and while usually that takes place on the “grandest stage of them all,” the 36th installment of WWE’s biggest show will be held on the smallest stage of them all this year with the show coming from the Performance Center and a couple of other unknown locations.
What still remains “grand” though this year is the traditional pay-per-view price. While WrestleMania is available for free for first-time subscribers to the WWE Network or $10 as part of your current subscription, those who do not have the Network and still want to get WrestleMania on television will have to shell out a little bit more than $10.
But what’s the price since this is split over two nights?
Dish Network is selling both nights for $59.99 and no option to purchase them separately. AT&T U-Verse is splitting the nights and selling the show for $34.95 each, which comes to $69.90 if you want to watch both night one and two. DirecTV is also taking the same approach with each night available separately for $34.95. Verizon Fios is a little bit cheaper, with each night available for $29.99 but ultimately it will still cost $60 to see both nights just like Dish.
Fans can sign up now to get their free 30-day trial to the WWE Network which also includes WrestleMania for free at http://w-o.it/wwentwrk. The recent free view offer of the Network where WWE unlocked thousands of hours for a limited time does not include WrestleMania 36.
FS1 to air the 2020 Royal Rumble in full on Tuesday
This coming Tuesday, FOX Sports 1 will be airing an encore presentation of the 2020 Royal Rumble starting at 7PM ET.
With television networks scrambling for content since most productions are halted due to the pandemic, WWE looks to be making the most out of it by already having past WrestleManias air on ESPN and now the Rumble on FS1.
ESPN will be airing WrestleMania 32 tomorrow, their second WrestleMania following the airing of WrestleMania XXX last Sunday. ESPN will also air WrestleMania 35 next Sunday head-to-head with WrestleMania 36.