WWE NXT To Leave USA Network

WWE NXT is on the move.

It’s been reported by Mike Johnson of PWInsider that NXT will be moving from the USA Network to the CW Network in 2024. Johnson notes that the two sides have been in “deep discussions for weeks,” with NXT moving in September 2024 when its current deal expires. This will be the first time that NXT will be available through a basic broadcast network.

The belief among those spoken to by Johnson is that the deal is close to being announced, and will run for around five years.

Furthermore, the deal will represent “easily be the biggest increase for WWE NXT media rights fees ever.”

CW is said to have held discussions with a number of promotions but WWE quickly became the frontrunner and focus of these conversations. The network is the “spiritual successor” to the former UPN Network which was home to SmackDown when it debuted back in 1999.

The new agreement means WWE now has series deals locked in on both cable and broadcast platforms.

Johnson closes by saying that TKO Group Holdings upcoming earnings call would be a logical place for the news to be formally announced.

WWE SmackDown Also On The Move In 2024

On September 21st it was announced that WWE SmackDown would be leaving FOX and heading to the USA Network in October 2024 in a deal worth around $1.4 billion.

Speaking on the FOX earnings call, CEO Lachlan Murdoch confirmed the company decided against a renewal because the return on investment didn’t match its “discipline parameters.”