WWE has started the trend of hosting pay-per-views in Saudi Arabia from 2018 onwards. We have seen three of them starting from last year’s April to date with the latest one being Super ShowDown. More such shows are in the pipeline for eight years to come as WWE has signed a contract with Saudi sports authorities that should be intact for a decade.
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While the fans around the United States might not be happy with it, the company gets the maximum benefit from it. They earn huge profits to host shows in Saudi Arabia which is multiple times than Wrestlemania. No wonder why they want to host even bigger events than the ‘showcase’ of immortals in the middle-east country.
The Moment Goldberg Suffered A Concussion At SuperShow Down. #WWE #SuperShowDown pic.twitter.com/wzVZPG9oiS
— Phillip (@IAMPhillip_42) June 8, 2019
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The next time the WWE roster visits Saudi Arabia on November 1st which is the second PPV event of this calendar year on this country. It’s a fixed date to keep a gap from the next WWE Network special Survivor Series in late November. However, there are chances that WWE might have to change the date of the Saudi show as their schedule are set to change in the fall of 2019.
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According to a report from Dave Meltzer in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Saudi Arabia officials specifically asked WWE to host shows on Fridays. But from October 4th, Smackdown Live moves into Friday nights on FOX Sports. So there has to be a change on either one of the shows. Or else, WWE will have to visit Saudi Arabia with the Raw roster only.
Here’s more from the report, (courtesy IWNerd.com)
“A note that hasn’t been brought up regarding Saudi Arabia shows going forward is that Saudi Arabia has asked for date on Fridays, and WWE starting in October has FOX on Fridays. Right now for 11/1, a listing for a FOX show from Newark, NJ and a show in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and King Saad University Stadium. So that would either mean split crews or they’d have to change the Saudi date.”
It would not make things complicated in earlier days when Smackdown used to come in a taped format. But from 2016, it also broadcasts simultaneously on a live format like Monday Night Raw. Plus, with Fox acquiring the show rights for Smackdown, they are not likely to go back to taped format causing lesser viewership numbers. So there has to be a major headache for WWE as they look forward to altering the Saudi Arabia schedule.
