WWE Chief Operating Officer Donna Goldsmith said the company is not worried about SmackDown losing viewers by moving to Syfy since it’s available in more than 95 million homes. "Cable is where it’s at right now," Goldsmith told the New York Times, which also noted the announcement came a day after Conan O’Brien announced his new show is also going to cable television on TBS. Syfy’s President Dave Howe said that three years ago the channel was interested in bidding for Smackdown when it was moving however they could not afford it and while it’s more expensive now, they have "an ambitious and aggressive growth strategy." When Goldsmith was asked about the proposed WWE cable channel, she said that they’re still looking at it while many television insiders believe the move of SmackDown to an NBC Universal owned channel clearly shows that WWE is working with their broadcast partner to launch the cable channel in 2011.
Categories