New WWE rights deal brings Smackdown back to USA network in 2024

It looks as if WWE's "Smackdown" is going back to a familiar place.

Joe Otterson of The Hollywood Reporter reported that Comcast, owner of NBCUniversal, will bring the wrestling program back to USA Network beginning in October 2024. The five-year, $1.4 billion deal puts all of WWE's linear programming back under one media company for the first time in several years. Additionally, WWE will produce four annual primetime specials for NBC, though Otterson said that what those specials will feature have yet to be determined.

The Friday night show essentially became WWE's flagship program (the "A" show in its parlance) when FOX signed a five-year, $1 billion deal with the promotion in 2018. The show officially began to air on the main broadcast channel in 2019, though it has aired live on FS1 on some occasions when the World Series and the men's World Cup are shown on FOX. While traditional TV viewership has declined over the years for WWE, that's been the case for all non-sports programming across the board in TV for a decade thanks to the proliferation of streaming services and cord-cutting. While it has hit a lull in recent months, FOX had been a major beneficiary of one of the most revered storylines in pro wrestling history, the story of Roman Reigns and his family/faction "The Bloodline," and WWE had reached major attendance and streaming heights over the past two years.

USA Network is already home to "Monday Night Raw," which WWE frequently reminds its viewers is the longest episodic TV program in history, and "NXT," its developmental brand that serves as a feeder program to "Raw" and "Smackdown." Though all three programs are considered separate brands with distinctive storylines, championships and rosters, some performers ("Superstars") will appear on more than one brand regardless of which network it airs on.

This is the first major deal since the TKO Group officially launched on Tuesday. TKO was born from the merger of WWE and UFC earlier this year under entertainment company Endeavor, though there remains a question of how long Vince McMahon will remain executive chairman of this new group. This also comes on the heels of a seemingly seismic shift for FOX and News Corporation as their founder, Rupert Murdoch, will retire from their boards, leading the way for his son Lachlan to take over as the sole executive in charge of both companies.

Otterson reports that "Raw" and "NXT" are expected to move elsewhere in its rights deal. "Raw" has mostly aired on USA since its inception in 1993, though it would air on what is now Paramount Network (previously TNN, then Spike) from 2000 to 2005. "NXT" was exclusive to the WWE Network until it was moved to USA starting in 2019.