Saysumthinfunnymike
VOTE!!!
TNT and TBS do okay but they'd be doing a lot better if they had wrestling. USA is the #1 cable network mostly because of WWE.
So WWF buying WCW was a shady business deal made between friends ???!!!
- Thread starter SteelCitySoldier
- Start date
Until very recently (like the past 2-3 years, after decades of trying to get major sponsors), pro wrestling got terrible ad rates even when ratings were through the roof. By allocating 4-7 hours of prime time (depending on when Nitro was doing 2 or 3 hours and if you considered Saturday Night to be "prime" time), Turner networks were not losing money, but not making nearly as much as they would with a non-pro wrestling show in the same slot even if WCW's ratings would be significantly higher than whatever show would be airing in the same time slot.
Without Ted Turner insisting it stay on his networks, WCW would have been off the air before Nitro even started. TNT/TBS might be doing better in the overall ratings with wrestling today, but they wouldn't be making as much money off of ads. When the decision comes down to bragging rights or money, most companies are going to take money.
WWE might not even have lasted so long on USA if the company didn't have such a direct relationship with a high ranking USA official whose name escapes me right now.
Without Ted Turner insisting it stay on his networks, WCW would have been off the air before Nitro even started. TNT/TBS might be doing better in the overall ratings with wrestling today, but they wouldn't be making as much money off of ads. When the decision comes down to bragging rights or money, most companies are going to take money.
WWE might not even have lasted so long on USA if the company didn't have such a direct relationship with a high ranking USA official whose name escapes me right now.
SteelCitySoldier
TSC Fantasy Football Champion 2016
Look at what you just said "bragging rights or money" and you're saying that they took the money, but they left 46 million on the table.
They didn't have to continue giving WCW six hours of tv time, they could have let them keep two hours and tell them "OK you can have your tv time but it will whenever WWF ISN'T ON". That way they have no competition and can let it play out until those crazy contracts were over. They scale back on house shows and PPVS along with that.
The crazy thing about this (and something y'all are seeming to overlook) is that the person who was negotiating the deal may have nixed the entire deal because he was "looking out for a friend IF THIS STORY IS TRUE.
The programming was still getting better ranking than anything on their channels at the time so why try it again with someone else WHEN YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE TO PAY THESE GUYS REGARDLESS. That's not good business at the end of the end of the day and it's even crazier if dude hit the button on all the programming because he knew that if he did the sale would fall apart and WWF would be able to buy.
Oh no no, the sale of WCW was absolutely insane for how low it went. That's not what I meant by the bragging rights or money choice. I meant post WCW, Turner networks made more money on those time slots even with lower ratings. Keeping WCW, programming that would get lower ad rates than anything in its slot, while it was a massive loss leader would not have been a good business decision. Selling it for as low as they did was also not a good business decision.
TheAlbionist
All Star
WCW screwed WCW.
Once AOL backed away from the TV deal, WCW was done.
And it was their own fault.
Once AOL backed away from the TV deal, WCW was done.
And it was their own fault.
Prince Akeem
Its not that deep breh....
Pretty much. Nobody gives a flying fukk about TBS or TNT outside of select sports programs.
Rizzoli and Isles did crazy numbers for a while on TNT, as did The Closer.
threattonature
Veteran
I came in to mention that it's pointless to mention ratings since wrestling was different than other forms of TV. TV networks want ratings as higher ratings leads to being able to charge more for commercials. Advertisers wanted nothing to do with wrestling so despite the ratings they weren't seeing the same money from commercials that they would with basic TV shows.
Add in that WCW was losing A LOT of money each year. So that has to be factored in to them selling. From what I remember reading just paying everyone to stay home and selling to Vince they were saving more money than if they would've kept running shows. WCW was still spending money like they were when they were on top even though ratings had dropped significantly, PPV buyrates were sinking lower and lower, and house show business was dead. According to The Death of WCW, they had lost $62 million in the last full year of operation. So yeah they took a short term hit cancelling TV and taking $43 million less. But if they kept operating at the rate they were losing money they would've taken a much bigger hit than the $43 million hit they took.
SteelCitySoldier
TSC Fantasy Football Champion 2016
If WCW was sold to another company Turner, AOL or whoever wouldn't be the ones running it any longer so they wouldn't be losing money it would be the new owners.
All that they would be doing is giving the two hours of tv time a week. House shows and everything else would be on the new owners heads. Only thing they would still have been responsible for were those contracts that couldn't be bought out and the 48 million I'm sure would have covered that.
Turner sells for the 48 million.
Gives the new company two hours of tv time.
Takes the 48 million and throws it into an account all by itself to simply pay off the remaining contracts that they can't buy out.
Waits to see what happens with the new buyers and the two hours of tv.
If it doesn't work out they cancel the show.
Seems pretty cut and dry to me.
All that they would be doing is giving the two hours of tv time a week. House shows and everything else would be on the new owners heads. Only thing they would still have been responsible for were those contracts that couldn't be bought out and the 48 million I'm sure would have covered that.
Turner sells for the 48 million.
Gives the new company two hours of tv time.
Takes the 48 million and throws it into an account all by itself to simply pay off the remaining contracts that they can't buy out.
Waits to see what happens with the new buyers and the two hours of tv.
If it doesn't work out they cancel the show.
Seems pretty cut and dry to me.
ZEB WALTON
ayo! - BEZ
you say cut and dry but the deal for the 50 mil was to STAY on tv, notg cancel within a year
USA has a deal with wwe for whatever the time is, they cant just cancel the show, they signed a deal to keep them on for however it was for
it was either stay on tv or sell cheap, they wanted toi change the company image. the money was made regardles and more so, like stro said, wrestling doesnt bring in huge ad money while tv shows do. that 50 million was made in week
MrSinnister
Delete account when possible.
I hope someone hips me in on what TNT has ever had that got close to WCW ratings at their worst.... 
They actually made America worst for it, as I had at least 3 girlfriends that love the constant Law n Order SUV commercials. Yeah, I got it, stranger may rape and kill you, let's keep it moving....
They actually made America worst for it, as I had at least 3 girlfriends that love the constant Law n Order SUV commercials. Yeah, I got it, stranger may rape and kill you, let's keep it moving....
richaveli83
Veteran
WCW being sold to another company would have been better than the WWF. $48 million vs $2 million is a no brainer. Only thing Time Warner/AOL would have to worry about are the television ratings and the big contracts for the likes of Hogan, Goldberg, Nash, etc.
I think WCW would be TNA status even if they did get another buyout. I doubt any of the parties involved had the financial mustle that Billionaire Ted propped WCW at it's peak with. The brand was pretty much ruined and more than likely WWE would've signed the like's of Hogan, Goldberg, Hall and Nash once their contracts were up.
Bischoff basically hinted that this is correct 
