This Week’s WWE Smackdown Viewership Info, Big Update on DISH Network Possibly Dropping USA Network

This Week’s WWE Smackdown Viewership Info

According to ShowBuzzDaily.com, last night’s WWE Smackdown averaged 2.260 million viewers, up from last week’s 2.186 million viewership average.

Big Update on DISH Network Possibly Dropping USA Network

The following press release has been issued:

DISH Notifies NBCUniversal of Intent to Arbitrate; Networks to Remain Available to Customers 

Notice triggers mandatory 10-day ‘cooling off period’ under Comcast-NBCUniversal merger conditions

ENGLEWOOD, Colo., March 18, 2016 – Today, DISH notified NBCUniversal and the Federal Communications Commission of its intent to request arbitration to determine the terms and conditions of a renewed distribution agreement with NBCUniversal. This notice triggers a mandatory 10-day ‘cooling off period’ during which DISH and NBCUniversal can continue negotiating and affected programming is required to remain available to DISH customers.

DISH issued the following statement regarding continued negotiations with NBCUniversal:

“DISH is committed to reaching a new distribution agreement with NBCUniversal and to not disrupt customers in the process. This 10-day cooling off period is an opportunity for continued negotiations while guaranteeing that NBCU cannot black out its networks to DISH customers.

“If, at the end of the cooling off period, we have not reached an agreement with NBCU, we will have up to five days to formally request arbitration. In the event of arbitration, affected programming would remain available during that process, and for the foreseeable future.

“We remain hopeful that we can reach a mutually beneficial agreement that benefits all parties, including our viewers.”