Smackdown! Things are Raw between e.tv and SuperSport, who've snatched away the rights for WWE.
As from Monday, 28 August, the WWE shows Raw and SmackDown will air on SuperSport, along with the WWE specials e.g. WrestleMania and SummerSlam.
According to SuperSport, they have the exclusive rights to the events from 12 September this year as a result of a deal they've signed to air WWE events in 50 countries across sub-Saharan Africa.
This turn of events is either good news or bad, depending on your WWE fandom and what you want from e.tv.
Just yesterday a TVSA reader was going off about e.tv saying:
No more worries about this Mich' - it's oves.
On SuperSport, Raw will air on Tuesdays and SmackDown on Wednesdays on S3, S4, S9 and S10 - they will be live telecasts and same day repeats.
These channels will also broadcast the WWE specials live, including WrestleMania, SummerSlam, Survivor Series and Royal Rumble.
Edited to add this statement from e.tv:
e.tv has announced that WWE will no longer be airing on the e family of channels from 1 September 2017. The channel will not be renewing its long-standing contract with WWE.
Marlon Davids, Managing Director of e.tv Channels says that the decision not to renew the WWE contract was not taken lightly. “e.tv has been the home of WWE in South Africa since 2001, but international rights contracts like this are complex,” he says. “After reviewing our renewal options, we decided to focus instead on the direction our entertainment lineup has been taking over the last 12 months.”
“We’re thrilled with the way our viewership numbers have grown, thanks to the local and international drama, comedy and reality shows which have found a home on the e family of channels,” says Davids. “As sad as we are to see WWE leave its home in South Africa, we’re confident that our audience will keep embracing the channels’ new direction and continue to be entertained by the fresh and engaging content which e.tv and the e family of channels currently hosts – and has plans to expand in the future.” Says Davids.
Over the last year, e.tv has become home to a host of new local shows, including Broken Vows, Harvest and long standing award-winning soapies such as Rhythm City and Scandal. The content strategy has included award-winning international series like How To Get Away With Murder, Empire, Hostages, Ray Donovan, Black-ish and The Fixer.
WWE programs will be replaced by back to back family movies on Saturdays and Sundays from September onwards. Weekdays will be replaced by House, an American television medical drama, which is another first for the Free to Air market.