Posted in: Fox, Sports, TV, USA Network, WWE | Tagged: fox, Smackdown, USA Network, wwe
NBCUniversal & WWE have finalized a five-year deal to bring WWE SmackDown to USA Network in October 2024, while Raw rights are still in play.
One of the headlines coming out of the merger between the WWE and Endeavor’s UFC (now TKO Group) was regarding the WWE’s top two television shows. Would FOX continue to be the home to Friday Night SmackDown? Would USA Network continue to be the home to Monday Night Raw? Would a streaming service enter the picture – possibly Peacock stepping up its game or a player no one saw coming? Well, the television future of SmackDown was answered this morning, with the WWE and NBCUniversal agreeing to a five-year deal domestic media rights deal that will see SmackDown move to USA Network beginning in October 2024 (with the WWE set to produce four NBC primetime specials per year). An important note? The news does not include Monday Night Raw – which is set to run on USA Network through September 2024 – with a number of potential suitors in play. On the U.S. streaming side of things, the WWE has an exclusive deal with Peacock that runs through 2026.
“It’s a privilege and thrill to continue NBCU’s decades-long partnership with WWE, which has helped cement USA Network’s consistent position as the top-rated cable entertainment network in live viewership,” said NBCU Entertainment chair Frances Berwick in a statement when the news was first announced. “With Friday nights on USA, primetime specials on NBC, and the WWE hub on Peacock, we’ll continue to use the power of our portfolio to super-serve this passionate fanbase.” Noting that NBCUniversal has been “a tremendous partner” of the wrestling company for decades, WWE President Nick Khan added, “We are excited to extend this longstanding relationship by bringing ‘SmackDown’ to USA Network on Friday nights and look forward to debuting multiple WWE special events annually on NBC.” While no financial details were initially released, rumblings have the deal including a possible 40% increase from FOX’s deal for the show – which was reported to be in the $200M/year range.
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