October 29, 2007 Observer Newsletter: Syfy renews ECW, Brock Lesnar signs with UFC

One week after the show was revamped and the decision was made to include bigger names weekly, The Sci-Fi Network agreed on 10/23 to renew ECW for a new one-year contract through the end of 2008.

No details of the contract were announced, although inside sources say the money terms were the same as the previous deal. WWE was looking for a longer-term commitment, hoping for a multi-year renewal. WWE will have Smackdown wrestlers appear regularly on ECW, and have ECW wrestlers appear regularly on Smackdown in attempts to up the profile of the show. The WWE was worried no deal would be made, and began last week putting tape delayed ECW on its web site as perhaps preparation for not getting a new deal for the brand. Even after the deal was finalized this week, WWE is still airing ECW on a next day tape delay with no commercial interruptions on the site.

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