We have reported the change of schedule for Smackdown Live on Fox Sports. The show will no more belong to the USA Network. Instead, Fox Sports has bagged a new deal with the WWE for airing the blue brand shows. So this is going to be the new home of the currently Tuesday Night show.
The deal is quite a big one stretching for five years. Fox Sports will broadcast Smackdown Live starting from October 1, 2019, to September 30, 2024. It is going to be one of the biggest contracts that WWE has ever signed for airing the so-called B-show of the company.
The primary reports are suggesting Smackdown will air on Fox Sports on Friday Nights. We will have a block of two hours from 8 to 10 PM. There are no reports whether the show will continue to be live or will go back to its original taped format. We will receive such confirmations in the upcoming months.
Meanwhile, the current updates are suggesting Fox Sports is willing to bring more of the WWE in their programming. Wrestling Observer Newsletter confirmed the same stating the officials want to add more WWE content apart from Smackdown Live.
Talks are going on to have a WWE news show to replace UFC Tonight and other content which could air on FS1. The Co-President of Fox Sports, Michelle Wilson also confirmed by saying they are willing to add more WWE shows on their channel.
Pro-wrestling Sheet went one step ahead and stated there are chances that Fox Sports might broadcast NXT too. Triple H, the head honcho of NXT hinted the same in an interview, too. He gave his opinion on the potential switch by mentioning the ‘never say never’ phrase. At the end of the day, it’s Vince McMahon who takes the final call.
Here the comments from The Game, (courtesy stillrealtous.com),
“As far as where NXT ends up, as that brand continues to grow, never say never, I guess. For the value of the Network, NXT is a valuable part of the WWE Network. Where it ends up, I don’t know.
Obviously, that’s a decision that Vince [McMahon] will make and the team here will make strategically as to where everything sits, just as we do everything else in our ecosystem as far as where we put content. It’s a constantly challenging question for us. Good problem to have, right?”
Fox Sports interesting on WWE contents is a good thing for the company. They are eyeing mainstream attention for a long time. The new home for Smackdown can bring more of these in WWE programming in the future.
