WWE Reach "Massive" Deal With Fox To Air SmackDown
Blue brand will move to new home in October 2019.
WWE SmackDown is destined for a new home starting from next October, following news that the company has reached a reportedly "massive" deal with Fox Network, according to ESPN.
This past Thursday, the Hollywood Reporter ran the story that current rights holder NBC Universal declined first refusal on the Tuesday night show, instead preferring to focus on retaining WWE's flagship Monday Night Raw.
NBC's turn-down left the door wide open for Rupert Murdoch's media empire to swoop in with an arrangement which looks set to benefit both parties. Live TV is a particularly sought after commodity for the network, whilst news of the switch has already seen WWE stock boom by a fifth. The particulars of the deal aren't yet known, but are believed to be hugely lucrative for Vince's group.
SmackDown will be the first WWE programming to appear on Fox since Saturday Night's Main Event had the briefest of runs back in 1992. In a coincidental parallel to today's news, SNME migrated to its new home for just two episodes after its semi-regular run on NBC drew to a close.
The blue-brand has been a regular part of NBC's broadcasting portfolio since its switch from UPN in 2010, having first aired on the SyFy network before moving to its current position on USA in 2015. Originally conceived as a supplementary show, SmackDown has since been pushed as a WWE brand in its own right, with a roster and championship divisions separate from Raw. The show will celebrate its landmark 1,000th episode on 16 October.
At this time, both WWE and Fox have declined to comment on the deal.