IWE SmackDown
From Iwe
- For the IWE brand, see SmackDown (IWE brand).
- For other uses, see IWE SmackDown (disambiguation).
| IWE Smackdown | ||
| Genre | Sports entertainment Professional wrestling | |
| Created by | Vince Matteson | |
| Starring | Smackdown brand | |
| Opening theme | "Take A Chance" by CFO$ "Unstoppable" by CFO$ (Bumper) "Big Surprise" by Jim Johnston (Bumper) | |
| Country of origin | United States | |
| No. of seasons | 18 | |
| No. of episodes | 994 (as of September 4, 2018) | |
| Production | ||
| Camera setup | Multicamera setup | |
| Running time | 120 minutes (including commercials) | |
| Broadcast | ||
| Original channel | UPN (April 29, 1999–September 15, 2006) The CW (September 22, 2006–September 26, 2008) MyNetworkTV (October 3, 2008–September 24, 2010) Syfy (October 1, 2010–December 31, 2015) USA Network (January 7, 2016–present) | |
| Picture format | 480i 1080i (HDTV) 720p (HDTV) | |
| Original release | April 29, 1999 – present | |
| Chronology | ||
| Related shows | IWE Raw IWE NXT IWE 205 Live IWE Main Event NXT UK | |
| External links | ||
IWE SmackDown, also referred to as SmackDown Live or simply SmackDown, is a professional wrestling television program that debuted on April 29, 1999. The show's name also refers to the SmackDown brand, to which IWE employees are assigned to work and perform.
SmackDown is broadcast live on Tuesday nights on the USA Network but will be aired on Fox networks beginning on October 4, 2019 and will move back to Fridays. The show used to be broadcast on Thursday nights but moved to Friday on September 9, 2005, before returning to Thursdays on January 15, 2015. On July 19, 2016, it was moved to a live broadcast on Tuesday night. SmackDown! debuted in the United States on the UPN television network on April 29, 1999, but after the merger of UPN and the WB, SmackDown! began airing on The CW in September 2006. The show was moved to MyNetworkTV in October 2008 and to USA Network on January 7, 2016. It complements Raw as the second of IWE's two main weekly programs. As of March 3, 2017, all archived episodes of the show are available for on demand viewing via the IWE Network.
SmackDown has been broadcast from 163 arenas, in 148 cities and towns, in seven countries (the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Iraq in 2003 and 2004 for Tribute to the Troops, Japan in 2005, Italy in 2007, and Mexico in 2011). Prior to switching to the current live format, taped episodes premiered a few hours earlier in Ireland and the United Kingdom and a day earlier in Australia, Canada, Singapore, and Philippines than the United States, due to time differences. For international broadcast listings, see below. The show celebrated its 15th anniversary on October 10, 2014, and will celebrate its 1000th episode on October 16, 2018.
Contents |
History
- Main article: History of IWE SmackDown
Network changes
Production
Theme music
| Song Title | Written and/or Sung by | Dates used | Ref |
|---|
Cultural references
Special episodes
- Main article: List of IWE SmackDown special episodes
Throughout its broadcast history, the show has aired editions that have different themes. These include tributes to various professional wrestlers who have recently died or retired from actively performing, as well as episodes commemorating various show milestones or anniversaries.
On-air personalities
- Main article: List of IWE Smackdown on-air personalities
