USA won 2Q11, extending its unprecedented run as the #1 ad-supported cable entertainment network in prime among total viewers to 20 consecutive quarters as 3.01 million came to the all entertainment network, beating NBA-fueled TNT by +11% as well as topping TNT in households with 2.27 million, +14% over TNT. More of the quarter’s top 40 scripted telecasts were on USA than on any other network for both P25-54 (14) and P18-49 (10):
WWE Tough Enough is the #2 new reality series of the year to date among total viewers (2.74 million).
WWE MONDAY NIGHT RAW had a championship quarter, growing year to year across the board: P25-54 (2.49 million) +6%, P18-49 (2.51 million) +6%, P18-34 (1.21 million) +10%, total viewers (5.22 million) +7%, and households (3.46 million) +3%. More total viewers watching cable Mondays from 9pm-11pm tuned to USA’s WWE MONDAY NIGHT RAW than anything else in 2Q11. WWE Raw continues to hold the title as the #1 choice for M18-34 in its usual Monday 9pm-11pm timeslot, beating every network on television, broadcast or cable, except for CBS in M18-49, ABC and CBS in P18-49, P18-34, and total males. WWE Raw delivered more P25-54 than FOX head to head this quarter
USA Network is the #1 network in all of basic cable and is seen in over 102 million U.S. homes...More?
source: tvbythenumbers
July 1, 2011
USA Wins 20th Consecutive Quarter
June 30, 2011
Rumor Mill - Triple H's Advice For Sin Cara
According to a WWE source, Triple H and Sin Cara recently had a long backstage conversation where "H" told Cara to come to him if he had any problems or if there was anyone on the roster that he wanted to work with. The source notes that Triple H has basically taken Sin Cara under his wing.
Several WWE talents are against the idea of working against Sin Cara due to the lighting WWE features during his matches.
source: wrestling observer
Rumor Mill - Paul Heyman & Brock Lesnar Working with WWE
Ariel Helwani and Dave Meltzer are reporting that Heyman and Lesnar have either made a deal or at least are in very serious negotiations to have a business relationship involving consumer products with WWE.
New Wrestling-Themed Movie Set To Air On CMT In August
Long-time television actor Ricky Schroder will share the CMT movie spotlight with Broadway star and Mercury Nashville recording artist Laura Bell Bundy in the romantic comedy "To The Mat," premiering Wednesday, August 17 at 8:00 p.m., ET/PT on CMT. "To The Mat" is the first made-for-television movie to be released as part of the CMT ORIGINAL MOVIES franchise, the network's newly-formed division of original television movies.
Toxicology Results for Randy Savage
Macho Man Randy Savage died from a serious "cardiac event" he suffered moments before plowing his car into a tree last month -- this according to the Pinellas County Medical Examiner.
According to the medical examiner, Savage suffered from cardiovascular disease -- and the deadly "cardiac event" resulted from the condition.
According to the toxicology report, Savage tested positive for alcohol and hydrocodone (an opiate) during the time of his death ... but neither played a role in his death.
As we previously reported, the wrestler's brother said Savage experienced a heart attack before the accident -- and that's what caused him to lose control of his vehicle on a Florida highway and slam into a tree.
source: tmz.com
Video: Triple H & Stephanie McMahon on Bloomberg Enterprise
Recap of WWE Executives on Bloomberg TV by John Canton of thejohnreport.net:
Melissa Long asked Triple H of his role in WWE: “What are you?” “A little bit of everything,” says HHH. He says he can be a superstar, a corporate executive (even though it’s awkward for him to say that) or backstage helping create new talent. He can also be directing, producing, helping write. Stephanie helped him say all those things. He said that it’s part of the business and company to be involved in a lot of different things.
- It was mentioned that since April he’s been leading the talent development team. He said he looks for charisma & personality. He says the business is like a puzzle where you have to be a wrestler, performer, talker, ad-liber and then ha that charisma, larger than life character. He thinks charisma is that biggest x-factor. You can’t always teach somebody that.
- Melissa talked about WWE’s global appeal by specifically mentioning Sin Cara. Hunter says Sin Cara is an amazing talent. He wears a facemask with no eyes, but he can see through it. That’s a secret, he says. It’s part of talent development – the group he’s heading up – to create stars globally.
Triple H: “In every corner of the world people know what we do.”...More?
Concussions Retire Hockey Star
Paul Kariya never saw Scott Stevens coming, but he did foretell his own demise.
“There’s too much of a lack of respect players have for one another — and it’s got to stop,” said Kariya. “If the league wants to stop that kind of conduct, it will have to punish players. ... Ten-game suspensions ... and more, have to be brought back to help wake up players, to teach them about having respect for one another.”
Kariya could have made that statement when he retired Wednesday because of concussion problems after 15 years in hockey — and he did make some like it — but that quote is actually from a Sporting News article in the summer of ’98...More?
source: thestar.com
This Day in Wrestling History
Happy Birthday to Terry Funk
June 30, 1944
Gail Kim wins the WWE Women's Title in a Battle Royal upon her debut in WWE. She would be released from the company a year later in November of 2004.
June 30, 2003
June 29, 2011
Randy Orton Comments On His Heat With The Rock And WWE Mgmt Believing He Publicly Criticized Triple H
WWE World Heavyweight Champion Randy Orton participated in an interview with Phoenix, Arizona based rock station 98KUPD promoting this week's SmackDown tapings:
Orton shared a story of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson trying to get him in trouble prior to WrestleMania. Orton said he gave his opinion on The Rock during an interview with ESPN—that he wasn't buying his return speech about returning to WWE and never leaving again. Orton said Johnson called management and claimed the WWE Superstar slammed him and Triple H in the interview. Orton feels Rock mentioned Triple H to grab their attention even though he didn't criticize "The Game" in the interview. Orton said he had "got in trouble" and "made Vince mad" for his statements. He feels the interview was "blown out of proportion" and that Johnson should have confronted him over his remarks, rather than complaining to Vince McMahon and management.
Orton referenced Hunter's possible ring-rust in the ESPN interview. You can read the remarks and the remarks about The Rock by clicking on the link.
