In a move that’s making some ad agencies nervous, WWE has begun encouraging viewers to switch to their website during commercials of ongoing matches. During RAW, which airs Monday nights on USA Network, WWE has begun prompting viewers to go to their website in order to continue watching the current match, during the commercials.

Some advertisers are afraid this could start a trend of having consumers avoid viewing their commercials. While this could start a trend for website interaction during commercials for certain sports, the USA case might be an isolated one. While WWE is prompting RAW viewers to go to their website during commercials, in other instances such as a NASCAR race, the network televising the race could prompt viewers to continue watching the race from the network’s website, not NASCAR.com.

This could lead to networks selling advertising for the broadcast commercials, as well as advertising on their website during commercials, through banner ads, sponsored feeds, or pop-ups.

Bottom line is that the WWE’s move could set a precedent for other sports, but will likely in the end only tick off USA, and could mean that WWE loses the only cable network that was willing to show RAW. Will be interesting to see if USA tries to stop WWE from promoting their website before commercials. Ironically, Spike censored WWE from announcing they were moving to USA during their last Spike broadcast, as we covered here.

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