Change In WWE Smackdown Telecasting: Explained

WWE has been very busy negotiating new TV arrangements for its Raw and SmackDown television shows, since its existing contracts with NBCU and FOX end in October 2024, respectively.

Change In WWE Smackdown Telecasting: Explained

One of these new television deals has now been signed. WWE announced today that SmackDown will return to the USA Network from FOX on a five-year agreement beginning in October 2024. It appears like the show will continue to air on Friday nights. The new agreement also includes four primetime specials on NBC each year.

NBCUniversal and TKO Group Holdings, Inc. have agreed to a five-year domestic media ownership deal that will return Friday Night SmackDown to USA Network in October 2024.

WWE President Nick Khan reacted on the five-year pact with NBCUniversal, according to a corporate release. He stated that the television firm has been working with World Wrestling Entertainment for decades and that numerous unique events would be shown on the USA Network.

“NBCUniversal has been a tremendous partner of WWE for decades. 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,” Nick Khan said.

According to persons familiar with the situation, the contract is worth more than $1.4 billion in total, with an annual average of $287 million. WWE does not expect to secure a deal for the rights to its flagship show “Raw” until next year.

“SmackDown” has been on Fox since October 2019, with a five-year rights pact for $205 million per year. The new arrangement represents a 40% rise. From 2016 until 2019, “SmackDown” aired on USA Network.

WWE is a subsidiary of TKO Group Holdings, which was formed by the merger of WWE and Endeavor’s UFC. TKO debuted on the NYSE last week.

This statement provides little information on the future of Raw or NXT on the USA Network, other than the fact that both shows will continue to run on the network through the end of September 2024. The statement also does not reveal the financial parameters of the new SmackDown TV agreement, though it appears to be a fair bet that WWE is easily breaking the billion dollar mark here.

 

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