Posted in: Pop Culture, Sports, WWE | Tagged: fox, NXT, wrasslin, wrestling, wwe
Is WWE's NXT Heading to Fox Sports 1?
By keeping Monday Night Raw on the USA Network but making a new deal with Fox to air SmackDown Live on Fox's broadcast network, WWE stands to both get their product in front of the eyes of new viewers and also make a lot more money. The deal with Fox opens up a lot of other opportunities for WWE as well, including getting some of their other shows onto television.
According to gossip floating around the dirt sheets this week, a deal is "imminent" to do just that, as Pro Wrestling Sheet's Ryan Satin tweeted:
https://twitter.com/ryansatin/status/1012442234472370177
Getting NXT on FS1 could help WWE's developmental brand, but it could also be a loss for the WWE Network, which would leave what's probably its second best attraction, after watching PPVs for free. Bringing a show like NXT onto television also adds pressure to produce good ratings, which could affect the way WWE books the brand, which is well regarded by fans for providing a more traditional pro wrestling experience than WWE's flagship brands.
We'll have to wait and see what happens, but if WWE can make even more money from their TV deals, there's pretty much no chance they aren't going to seize the opportunity.