WWE To Move NXT Show From USA Network To CW

Last summer, OutKick previewed the upcoming WWE rights negotiations as the existing deals for its three weekly television programs were set to expire.

Since that time, the company agreed to terms to move SmackDown from Fox to USA Network. On Tuesday, WWE announced NXT would move from USA Network to CW in October of 2024.

TKO CEO Ari Emanual, the head of the WWE-UFC merger, detailed on an earning call that CW would boost NXT's average annual value (AAV) by 70%.

It is believed that USA Network paid around 15 million a year to air the program on Tuesdays.

Not bad for a C-show.

NXT serves as WWE's developmental wrestling brand, though has recently featured top-tier stars like Becky Lynch.

The show averaged 670,000 viewers last week but can average as much as 800,000 on a strong week.

“Between the new leadership and ownership, the economics of the deal and with their broadcast network now being in over 100 million homes, it becomes a no-brainer to move NXT, one of our signature weekly shows, to The CW,” said WWE president Nick Khan, who spoke to OutKick earlier this year to discuss the WWE merger.

The deals for NXT and SmackDown leave Raw, the company's flagship program, as the next dominion to fall.

USA Network airs Raw for $265 million a year, though expect the price for the show to eclipse $300 million in AAV with the network agreeing to pay $287 million per year for Smackdown.

It's possible the investment in SmackDown will lead to Amazon Prime, a rumored destination, or Disney's FX to wrest control of Raw away from USA Network.

Raw has averaged 1.8 million viewers year to date.

Currently, Raw airs on Mondays, followed by NXT on Tuesdays, and SmackDown on Fridays. But those days are subject to change at the behest of the new broadcast partners.

One possibility is moving Raw or SmackDown to Wednesdays to compete head-to-head with rival promotion AEW's Dynamite.

WWE is unlikely to position NXT against Dynamite again. The two brands competed head to head in 2019, during which AEW pulled away.

For context, Dynamite draws around 900,000 viewers a week.

Finally, a deal between CW and NXT means the network will presumably not strike a deal with NWA, as recently rumored.

NWA is the oldest wrestling promotion in the United States, but now the fifth-largest behind, in order, WWE, AEW, Ring of Honor, and Impact/TNA.

CW says it will air NXT under its Sports umbrella along with LIV Golf, ACC football and basketball, LIV Golf, “Inside the NFL," and the NASCAR Xfinity Series.