In a significant development, the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) has announced a major shakeup in its broadcasting deals, with USA Network confirming that SmackDown will return to the network in September, while RAW will move to Netflix in 2024.
For the past 12 years, USA Network has been the exclusive broadcaster of WWE RAW, a partnership that began in 2012. However, with the current deal set to expire, WWE executives have announced that the show will remain on USA Network until the end of the year, with Triple H at the helm of the creative team.
Starting next year, Netflix will take over the broadcasting rights for RAW, marking a significant shift in the WWE’s television strategy. This move is likely to expand the show’s global reach and provide new opportunities for the WWE to engage with its fans.
Meanwhile, SmackDown, which has been broadcast on FOX for the past five years, will return to USA Network on September 13. This move marks a homecoming of sorts for the show, which originally aired on the network from 2015 to 2019. SmackDown has been the more successful show ratings-wise in recent years, and it remains to be seen how the move back to USA Network will impact its viewership.
SmackDown’s journey has been a nomadic one, starting off with UPN in 1999, before moving to The CW in 2005, then to My Network TV and SYFY, before finally arriving on USA Network in 2015. The show’s return is a significant development for the WWE, which has been working to revamp its broadcast strategy and expand its global reach.
The WWE’s moves are likely to have significant implications for the world of professional wrestling, with both RAW and SmackDown poised to reach new audiences and compete for attention in an increasingly crowded television landscape. As the WWE looks to the future, fans can expect exciting developments and new storylines to emerge in the coming months.