USA Network On WWE NXT: "A Taped Show Is Not What We Paid For"
NXT moving to a pre-taped format isn't sitting well with this USA Network staffer...
WWE's plans to shift NXT back to a pre-taped format (at least temporarily) came to light on Sunday, with the promotion seemingly set to capture several weeks of footage over the days following SummerSlam weekend.
While there's currently no word on whether or not this will be a permanent switch, reversing WWE's decision to take the show live in September 2019, the Mat Men Pro Wrestling Podcast's Andrew Zarian has sourced a quote from somebody within USA Network on the matter.
"A taped show is not what we paid for," they said.
USA's contract with WWE to air NXT live commenced in September 2019, when the black and gold brand was taken off the WWE Network to compete with AEW Dynamite. Upon losing the Wednesday Night Wars (finishing above Dynamite in the night's cable rankings just once out of 75 weeks), NXT was switched to Tuesday evenings earlier this year, removing it from any kind of direct competition.
While the exact yearly figure USA pays NXT isn't known, it is believed to be significantly less than the $44 million WarnerMedia pays for AEW Dynamite. Either way, the network has made an investment in the product.