Eric Bischoff Says WCW Nitro Revolutionised WWE’s Weekly TV Structure

WWE Hall of Famer Eric Bischoff shared insights on how the debut of WCW Monday Nitro in 1995 revolutionised weekly wrestling television.

Speaking on his podcast, 83 Weeks, Eric Bischoff detailed the innovative vision behind Nitro and its lasting influence on WWE and AEW’s programming strategies. Nitro debuted in March 1995 with a bold promise: deliver pay-per-view-level matches on free television.

When I launched Nitro in ‘95, I made up my mind that while there may be some enhancement matches, we’re bringing pay-per-view quality matches to television.

This daring approach not only reshaped the presentation of WCW but, Bischoff said, also forced WWE to reimagine Monday Night Raw. The trend, Bischoff noted, has since become a staple of wrestling television, influencing WWE’s extensive weekly programming and AEW’s television shows.

It worked so well that WWE started doing it. Now WWE does it for three hours on this night, two hours the next night, and AEW is trying to be something and they’re following suit.

While the strategy brought undeniable success, it also introduced new challenges. Regularly showcasing top stars meant promotions could no longer rely solely on pay-per-view events to feature marquee talent. Instead, weekly storylines became essential to keeping audiences engaged.

Now you have to have star power on your show, you can’t save your stars, their stories, and their characters for a once-a-month appearance, or once every couple of months on a pay-per-view. You’ve got to advance those characters and stories on a weekly basis to keep the audience’s attention.

Bischoff’s Nitro format paid off, leading WCW to dominate the ratings war for an impressive 83 consecutive weeks from June 1996 until April 1998.

Why Did Eric Bischoff Say He Had To Let Triple H Leave WCW In 1995?

Eric Bischoff spoke about the reason Triple H jumped ship from WCW to WWE in 1995 and said that it was solely down to money as he said that due to budget constraints, he couldn’t offer Triple H more than $75,000 per year, a figure he believes WWE was easily able to beat.

H/t to ITRWrestling.com