WWE SmackDown returning to USA Network in new TV rights deal
WWE and NBC Universal have reached an agreement for SmackDown to return to the USA Network.
TKO Group Holdings and NBC announced today that they have agreed to a five-year domestic media rights partnership for the show that will begin in October 2024. The partnership also involves four specials a year to air on NBC in primetime.
Although financial terms were not disclosed, the Wall Street Journal wrote, “People familiar with the pact valued it at roughly $1.4 billion, which is about a 40% increase over the deal WWE had with Fox.”
CNBC wrote, “The deal comes out to an average of $287 million per year, a total value of over $1.4 billion, people familiar with the matter told CNBC.”
Mark Shapiro, president of TKO Group Holdings, told the Hollywood Reporter earlier this month that the deal is expected to meet “market expectations.”
The rights to WWE Raw and WWE NXT are not part of the deal. WWE noted in today’s announcement that “WWE Monday Night Raw and WWE NXT will continue to air on USA Network through September 2024.” However, NBC Universal could still be in the running to retain the shows.
The Hollywood Reporter wrote that the market for the rights to Raw is “extremely active” while Deadline writes that “a number of players are said to be circling Raw.”
“NBCUniversal has been a tremendous partner of WWE for decades,” said WWE President Nick Khan. “We are excited to extend this longstanding relationship by bringing SmackDown to USA Network on Friday nights and look forward to debuting multiple WWE special events annually on NBC.”
“It’s a privilege and thrill to continue NBCU’s decades-long partnership with WWE which has helped cement USA Network’s consistent position as the top-rated cable entertainment network in live viewership” said NBCU Entertainment chair Frances Berwick. “With Friday nights on USA, primetime specials on NBC, and the WWE hub on Peacock, we’ll continue to use the power of our portfolio to super-serve this passionate fanbase.”
