WWE is negotiating a deal with multiple companies to acquire Smackdown. NBC Universal has already bought the broadcasting rights for WWE Monday Night Raw as per the earlier reports.
So the flagship program of the company will continue to stay on its home, i.e. USA Network in the upcoming days. Also, the three-hour schedule will also remain the same.
But the fate of Smackdown Live is still up for grabs. NBC has not made up their minds about buying the Tuesday Night show. They bought the same in 2014. But, this time around, they might decide to sell the product to another sports channel. In that case, the show will have to move away from the USA Network.
But, it will not be a problem for the WWE officials. Instead, the network that will buy the rights will get a new opportunity. They will try to present the program in a more significant way so that it can match up to the level of WWE Raw by all the means. This is where we come to a situation where Smackdown might get an extended format, in the future.
Dave Meltzer discussed the possibility of the same in a recent episode of Wrestling Observer Radio. He spoke about NBC not bidding for Smackdown could be a good thing for the WWE. In that case, another network could buy it and want to give tough competition to the flagship program of the WWE.
From the get-go, the so-called B-show of the WWE is a two-hour running show on different networks. But, the new acquirer will definitely want to give it a three-hour format. Only then, we can receive it as the A-show of the company.
Furthermore, the source also alluded that several internet giants are in the race of buying Smackdown from the NBC Universal.
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“Furthermore, Meltzer explained that given how Amazon and Facebook are looking to acquire the broadcasting rights for SmackDown Live, if SmackDown does end up on a streaming service, there is no telling whether it’d be a 2-hour or 3-hour show.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvu6_N7qbqs
As for now, Smackdown Live will continue to air live on the USA Network, every Tuesday Night from 8 PM onwards. The deal between WWE and NBC is intact until 2018. If the necessary shift happens for the blue brand, it will take place in 2019. We expect to know about the new home of the blue brand in the upcoming months.
