Enter Your Information Below To Receive Free Trading Ideas, Latest News And Articles.
Your information is secure and your privacy is protected. By opting in you agree to receive emails from us. Remember that you can opt-out any time, we hate spam too!
World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and NBCUniversal announced that WWE’s flagship program SmackDown will return to the USA Network for the next five years, beginning October 2019. The deal is worth more than $1.4 billion and will keep the weekly two-hour show on the NBCUniversal networks through 2023.
In the deal, NBCUniversal will air the series for two hours every Friday night, live from 8 to 10 PM ET. The series will be broadcast in 53 languages to more than 180 countries. NBCUniversal will also hold exclusive streaming, television, and digital rights to the program through its networks and subscription on-demand service, Peacock.
The deal will also include access to additional hours of content, promotional resources, and highlight packages from WWE’s other wrestling programs.
WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon said that the partnership will help grow the company’s core broadcasting business and provide the company with new opportunities to reach a larger audience.
“This groundbreaking five-year deal underscores the power of WWE content across all platforms and will enable both companies to work together in innovative ways to grow the fan base into the future” said Vince McMahon in a statement.
The news comes as NBCUniversal is looking for ways to rebuild its prime-time viewership, particularly in the wake of its failed Olympic TV deal and the anticipated demise of WWE’s Monday Night Raw.
SmackDown has long been one of the most popular shows on television and, according to NBCUniversal, will “continue to be the unquestioned leader in the wrestling entertainment genre on television.”