The Disturbing Truth Behind WWE SmackDown On Fox

WALTER NXT UK Debut Match
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WWE has stumbled arse-backwards into an incredibly lucrative paradigm shift in market conditions.

The TV industry, threatened with extinction under the atomised wave of streaming services, considers pro wrestling a sport, in that it is DVR-proof. WWE successfully secured its biggest ever money deal on that basis. Merit has very little to do with it. WWE isn't a hot property, it's an established one, and it is simultaneously haemorrhaging its core audience and doing nothing new to draw new fans. Advertisers aim for that 18-49 demo, and only the boomers are watching in significant number.

If these numbers remain stable, and the TV industry continues to survive under this approach, WWE will maintain its negotiating hand. If they do not, WWE isn't as future-proof as it stands right now. TV revenue is pivotal to the future of a company that has ballooned in operational expense through fear and spite. NXT UK existed to thwart the rise of the BritWres scene, and is a money-loser by design. The domestic division cannot integrate its 108 contracted talents into the two hours of NXT on USA, and various reports from Squared Circle Sirens and Fightful allude to several of that number being unhappy at both the lack of opportunity and a level of pay that still isn't commensurate with the main roster. Triple H meanwhile referred to NXT as the main roster several times, on RAW and SmackDown, to market it as a legit third brand. This isn't reflected where it matters, and the old image of NXT - the haven from creative oppression and an arduous schedule - is fading.

CONT'D...(4 of 5)

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Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!