Eric Bischoff Discusses The Idea Of WWE Raw Potentially Moving To Another Night

With the rumors of "WWE Raw" moving from Monday nights, a position it has historically held for over 30 years, a man well-versed in the show's history on the specific day of the week is speaking about the idea of the show moving to another night. Speaking on an episode of his "Strictly Business with Eric Bischoff" podcast, the former Senior Vice President of WCW during the Monday Night Wars, Eric Bischoff, said if a move happens, it will initially be difficult for fans because they have developed a habit of tuning in on Monday nights. But, it'll only be a problem initially.

"One of the things you do when you're creating a television brand or a property is you're trying to develop a habit with your audience to tune in. You want them to anticipate. You want them to make it a part of their regular viewing habit," Bischoff explained. "Anytime you move from your regular night, either voluntarily or not voluntarily, it has a negative impact. [It's] hard to measure [the impact] sometimes and what makes it difficult to measure is because the wrestling audience is extremely loyal."

While Bischoff said the ratings for "Raw" might take an initial hit if the program moves nights, things will bounce back relatively quickly. He said that first of all, fans of WWE will know well in advance when "Raw" is moving and where. He said the impact will be minimal and won't last long, and fans have seen it before when shows have moved nights.

"So the odds that you're going to lose a significant part of your audience for any length of time is pretty minimal because of that loyalty," he said. "Maybe initially [they'll lose some viewers], because again, people are slow to change their habits and it takes a little bit of effort to remember to program your DVR [or] to remember to schedule your week around something that's changing nights if you like to watch it live."

WWE recently announced that "WWE SmackDown" will be moving from Fox back to cable in October 2024. The show will begin airing on the USA Network next year. According to the Sports Business Journal, WWE and the USA Network's parent company, NBCU, have not yet reached an agreement for "Raw." Though the company remains a favorite to retain the rights to "Raw," it's rumored corporations like Disney and Amazon are interested in WWE rights.

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "Strictly Business with Eric Bischoff" with an h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.