FOX Unhappy With WWE For Promoting Peacock On SmackDown?

Per reports, USA Network aren't the only disgruntled WWE broadcast partner at the moment.

Vince McMahon Peacock WWE NBC
WWE / NBC

FOX officials are reportedly unhappy with WWE for constantly promoting Peacock on SmackDown.

Peacock is owned by NBC Universal and is therefore seen as competition by FOX, who carry SmackDown every Friday night. This, according to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio, is the source of the unhappiness, with several people at FOX involved.

The problem with this is that Peacock is now WWE's exclusive streaming partner in the United States following NBCU's billion-dollar deal to effectively acquire the Network earlier this year.

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News of potential FOX/WWE discord comes days after a similar report revolving around WWE's other broadcast partner, USA Network, which puts out Raw and NXT every Monday and Tuesday. Andrew Zarian reported on last week's Mat Men Pro Wrestling Podcast that NBCU (which owns USA as well) weren't happy with last week's Roman Reigns vs. Rey Mysterio match being pulled from Hell In A Cell 2021 and put on SmackDown instead.

Effectively, WWE took a potential headliner from an NBCU show and gave it to FOX. Officials were said to be "very unhappy" about this, but not necessarily "fuming," in Zarian's words.

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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.