In a perfect world, WWE's three primetime shows would all be on the same network. However, in a business where profit margin is given greater priority over common sense, that isn't the case.
Presently, Monday Night Raw, WWE's flagship show, and NXT air on USA Network. Friday Night Smackdown (to use the full title for a change) is presently on Fox. Next fall is a different story altogether.
There are a few underlying factors surrounding Fox's decision not to renew their deal with WWE, which will expire in September 2024. As a result, Smackdown shifts back to USA in October '24, just in time for the series' 25th anniversary.
On Tuesday, it was announced that NXT will leave USA for CW, which has a considerably smaller audience reach than Fox or NBC, after 5 years on USA.
That leaves Raw, which marked its 30th anniversary back in January. Some rumors have it moving off USA for the 2nd time, this time to either FX or another cabler. Raw had previously shifted to TNN/Spike TV from 2000-5.
But, what about the possibility of Raw joining its sister series on broadcast television? Therein lies the problem. Since 2012, Raw has been a 3 hour program, just as WCW Monday Nitro was when it signed off for good in 2001. Fans have decried the longer format due to lack of in-ring content. By comparison, NXT is packed with wall-to-wall action and minimal backstage filler, striking the right balance. With Paul "Triple H" Levesque now firmly in charge of WWE Creative, per Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel, I shan't be surprised if Endeavor, through TKO Holdings, would sign off on cutting Raw back to 2 hours, in lockstep with the other shows, in order to make it more palatable to new suitors. USA could still be in the mix, especially if they agree to the reduction in time.
Stay tuned.
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