Major Changes Coming To WWE SmackDown Following New TV Deal?

Fox network officials reportedly calling for a sport-like feel.

by Andy H Murray
Smackdown Fox
WWE/FOX

WWE SmackDown Live could be set for some major changes upon switching to its new Friday night slot when the company's new FOX TV deal comes into play next October.

Per Dave Meltzer in this week's Wrestling Observer Newsletter, FOX will place SD at the heart of a weekend sports run with the NFL featuring on Thursdays, WWE on Fridays, and more NFL on Sundays. They therefore want the show to take on more of a sports-like feel, and will call for WWE to drop much of its comedic elements as a result.

Though SmackDown is far from a full-on comedy show at the moment, acts like The New Day and the R-Truth/Carmella tandem are presented primarily to draw laughs, with their light-hearted segments breaking up the show's heavier content.

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It's hard to imagine a mainline WWE brand without Vince McMahon-endorsed comedy, but FOX will be paying WWE hundreds of millions of dollars across their new deal. To an extent, the promotion are beholden to the network, so we could well see a return to the days when SD was a wrestling-centric island away from Raw's sports entertainment trappings during the original brand split.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for six years and is currently WhatCulture's Senior Wrestling Reporter. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.