After Fox not renewing SmackDown’s deal with WWE, another brand also set to shift to new TV network

WWE NXT has landed a lucrative television deal with the CW Network, marking its highest ever television rights revenue.

After Fox not renewing SmackDown’s deal with WWE, another brand also set to shift to new TV network

WWE SmackDown, NXT and Raw (via Wrestling News and Fox Sports)

WWE NXT metamorphosed into full-fledged wrestling programming in 2012. Since then, the developmental brand has received critical acclaim for its top-notch wrestling style and storyline quality. Back in 2019, NXT moved to the USA Network. With their deal almost nearing its end, NXT has reportedly found its new broadcast home on CW.

According to the latest report from PW Insider, a deal between WWE NXT and CW was being negotiated for months to shift the former’s broadcast cable from the USA Network to a brand-new base channel. Several other sources have confirmed that the developmental brand has indeed inked a five-year deal with CW.

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Moreover, WWE officially announced its major move on the latest edition of NXT. WWE has agreed to a five-year deal with CW Network. Going forward, the NXT superstars will be heading to the new network in October 2024. As of now, the programming will be on the USA Network in its usual airtime.

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The report further suggests that the new deal with CW is likely the biggest-ever increase in the television rights fees for WWE NXT. The finalized rights feel is supposedly more than double NXT’s current broadcast fees with the USA Network, roughly around $35–$37 annually. In addition, USA Network will serve as the new telecast home for WWE SmackDown next year, which airs on the Fox Network currently.

NWA comments on CW finalizing a deal with WWE NXT

On November 7, WWE officially announced that the company had come into agreement with the CW Network for a five-year broadcast deal. This deal is also said to be the biggest-ever television rights fee hike for the developmental program. Before the announcement of the NXT-CW deal, rumors about the CW discussing a TV deal with the NWA were making the rounds on the internet.

NWA and NXT
NWA and NXT (via Variety)

As per the latest report from Fightful via Wrestle Talk, the NWA talents were taken aback by the unanticipated deal announcement between the CW and NXT. The NWA wrestlers were under the belief that sooner or later, the promotion would start airing on the CW. With the latter serving as NXT broadcast home from 2024, the chances for NWA to land a deal with the CW are scant.

Furthermore, it appears that the CW-NWA deal scrapping at the last minute was due to the negative publicity NWA garnered. The promotion recently pulled off a bizarre cocaine spot on one of its latest PPVs from last month. Thus, it might have possibly spoiled the odds of the company finally bagging TV deals.

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