Why NXT On USA Network's First Two Episodes Are Only One Hour Long
NXT on USA won't hit 120 minutes until 2 October.
WWE NXT debuts on USA Network next Wednesday, 18 September, though the first and second episodes will only run for 60 minutes on television, with the remaining half airing on the WWE Network.
Per the Wrestling Observer/Figure Four Online's Bryan Alvarez, this is owing to a clash with an existing USA show, Suits, which wraps a couple of weeks after NXT's new format begins.
Alvarez believes that the deal between WWE and USA Network was rushed through so quickly that USA had to let Suits finish before giving the black and gold brand its own full-time slot, and attributed this to WWE rushing to react to All Elite Wrestling as competition, with the promotion believing they needed to get NXT going on USA as fast as possible.
The full two-hour NXT broadcasts commence on 2 October. This is the same night that AEW debuts on TNT, thus starting wrestling's new Wednesday Night Wars. NXT is also set to be replayed on the WWE Network 24 hours after airing on USA.
This report strengthens the idea that WWE only put NXT on network television to counter AEW, but at least the Wednesday Night Wars should be fun to follow.