Real Reason Triple H Missed WWE Raw This Week

Bruce Prichard ran WWE Raw in Triple H's absence. Here's why...

by Andy H Murray
Triple H
WWE.com

Paul 'Triple H' Levesque missed this week's episode of WWE Raw, leaving Bruce Prichard to run the show, as Levesque and WWE President Nick Khan were tending to important company business elsewhere.

PWInsider's Mike Johnson reports that Khan and Levesque had spent the days surrounding Raw in Los Angeles, California. There, the duo were working on "securing the media rights deal for Monday Night Raw going forward."

Raw's television deal is currently up for re-negotiation. PWInsider believes that several suitors remain in play for the red brand, which currently goes out on USA Network every Monday.

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It's entirely possible that the televised wrestling landscape will look completely different in 2024. One major change has already been confirmed, with WWE SmackDown leaving FOX for USA Network next October. This September, CNBC reported on a five-year deal with around $1.4 billion, bringing SmackDown back to cable television after five years on network.

In early November, FOX CEO Lachland Murdoch claimed disappointing advertising numbers motivated the network not to renew SmackDown:

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“We look at all of our sports portfolio the same way and new rights the same way. Based on the analysis, on both an advertising point of view, we were not hitting the advertising numbers due to the audience of WWE … for our return on investment to be above the levels that we would accept."
Channel Manager
Channel Manager

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.