Smackdown going to USA Network

[THE 101]

WWE, part of the newly created TKO Group, and NBCUniversal have agreed to a five-year domestic media rights deal that will bring Friday Night SmackDown to USA Network starting in Oct. 2024, exiting its current home on Fox.

WWE will also produce four specials a year for NBC primetime.

Raw, the top-rated flagship property that also airs on USA Network on Monday, is not part of this deal. Today’s announcement noted that USA Networks “is currently home to WWE Monday Night Raw and WWE NXT, “which will continue to air on USA Network through September of 2024.” A number of players are said to be circling Raw.

Financial terms weren’t disclosed but Mark Shapiro, president and chief operating officer of WWE parents TKO Group and Endeavor, said recently when asked about negotiations that he expected results “line with market expectations.” That could meaning about a 40% bump from the previous SmackDown deal, which is thought to be in the $200 million-a year range.

SmackDown stars include John Cena, Roman Reigns, Bianca Belair, Charlotte Flair, and Rey Mysterio — regularly rates as the No. 1 show in the 18-49 advertising demographic on Friday nights. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson brought an especially hefty audience to last week’s fight. Raw pulls in even better numbers.

Word on WWE rights renewals or deals has been eagerly awaited by the industry and Wall Street since an exclusive negotiating window for current partners expired last year with no news.

WWE also has an exclusive U.S. streaming deal with Peacock through 2026. Its on-demand programming includes original series, documentaries, content from the WWE archives and live events led by WrestleMania, Survivor Series, Royal Rumble and Summer Slam.

“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. “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.”

WWE President Nick Khan said 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.”

 

[AKM-95]

Wow I thought smackdown would stay on network..I wonder with how MNF is doing RAW might be simulcast or Amazon prime bound.

 

[prophecypro]

I mean I guess if the money is still strong its a W but going from broadcast back to cable and the only network that hasnt abandon them cant be seen as the expansive move it hoped?
I guess Raw and NXT will stay on USA when those deals are up

So much for Amazon, Disney Plus, ESPN

Also interesting in the press release it confirms its staying on Fridays on USA

Those 4 specials will probably be like Saturday Night Main Event specials like when they re-signed with USA in 2005

 

[StatUS]

Friday night on USA does not compare to Fox obviously.

Move it to Wednesday, let's get it poppin

 

[AKM-95]

I mean I guess if the money is still strong its a W but going from broadcast back to cable and the only network that hasnt abandon them cant be seen as the expansive move it hoped?
I guess Raw and NXT will stay on USA when those deals are up

So much for Amazon, Disney Plus, ESPN

Those 4 specials will probably be like Saturday Night Main Event specials like when they re-signed with USA in 2005

Hopefully, watch it be one of those special presentations of WrestleMania they use to do in the spring or summer when they would show one marquee match.

 

[br82186]

I guess they wanted FOX to pay them more money

 

[prophecypro]

WWE Leaving Fox and then 15 minutes later its announced Rupert Murdoch is retiring lol

 

[PharaohAtem]

Friday night on USA does not compare to Fox obviously.

Move it to Wednesday, let's get it poppin

Some of you just want to see the world burn


























So do I

 

[br82186]

Hopefully, watch it be one of those special presentations of WrestleMania they use to do in the spring or summer when they would show one marquee match.

Nah, they'll be stingy with it and put out some jobbers, in other word they aren't doing what they did with Sunday Night Heat when that show first debuted.

 

[br82186]

WWE Leaving Fox and then 15 minutes later its announced Rupert Murdoch is retiring lol

N-GGA WHAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[bigdaddy88]

fox regretting that"investment"

 

[THE 101]

 

[PremeGuru]

WWE’s ‘SmackDown’ to Move to NBCUniversal’s USA From Fox

People familiar with the deal valued it at roughly $1.4 billion, which is about a 40% increase over the deal WWE had with Fox.

www.wsj.com

Smackdown to USA Network for 280m per year for 5 years.

Fox didn't fight to keep Smackdown.

Raw and NXT being shopped to other networks.

“SmackDown,” considered one of the premier WWE television-rights packages, will move to USA Network in a five-year deal that takes effect next fall, the companies said Thursday. “SmackDown” aired on USA from 2016 to 2019 before moving to Fox.
Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed. People familiar with the pact valued it at roughly $1.4 billion, which is about a 40% increase over the deal WWE had with Fox.
“Even at a moment when content spending has never been more scrutinized in the industry, premium properties like WWE with a massive following and huge engagement will always win out,” said Mark Shapiro, president and chief operating officer of WWE parent TKO Group Holdings in an interview. The rights deal is TKO’s first since going public last week.
With “SmackDown” returning to USA, the network isn’t expected to renew the rights to “Raw” and “NXT,” two other WWE shows it currently carries, according to some of the people. The deal for “Smackdown” is likely to cost USA as much as the rights for “Monday Night Raw” and “NXT,” one of the people familiar with the matter said.

As part of the “SmackDown” deal, the NBC broadcast network plans to air four prime-time specials a year.
NBCUniversal has strong ties to WWE. Besides carrying its shows on USA, NBCUniversal’s Peacock streaming service is the exclusive streaming home for WWE content, including the popular “WrestleMania” franchise. That five-year rights deal was signed in 2021 and The Wall Street Journal reported it was valued at more than $1 billion.
Fox didn’t aggressively seek to keep “SmackDown,” a person close to the network said. Fox has increased its college-sports-rights holdings and is expected to easily fill “SmackDown’s” Friday nighttime slot with other programming.
TKO plans to begin shopping “Monday Night Raw” and “NXT” rights over the next several months. There is a strong appetite for live content, particularly as media companies such as Disney and
Warner Bros. Discovery
look for programming to fill their streaming services. Disney’s ESPN is planning to launch a new direct-to-consumer service and Warner Bros. Discovery’s Max earlier this week unveiled plans to add live sports to its service.

 

[prophecypro]

NBC Universal the only one willing to throw the bag at them always, kinda makes sense and take the money and keep it under the same umbrella

But I wonder when the merger was happening if this is what they hoped for. Eh, end of the day the top payment is the top payment

 

[Reality Check]

NBC Universal the only one willing to throw the bag at them always, kinda makes sense and take the money and keep it under the same umbrella

But I wonder when the merger was happening if this is what they hoped for. Eh, end of the day the top payment is the top payment

Foolish for Comcast/NBCU to not outright buy WWE when it was on the market. Would have saved them money on the broadcasting rights. Good for WWE to get that bag, but let's not act like going back to USA from Fox isn't an L. I don't remember but what were their Smackdown ratings when they were on USA? I think with Fox it was over 2 million unless they were moved to FS1 randomly.