WWE’s programming rights for RAW, NXT, and SmackDown will expire next year. However, the company has secured deals for two of the three shows.
RAW and NXT have contracts with the USA Network, while SmackDown continues to air on FOX until the fall of 2024. WWE is leaving FOX and has signed a five-year deal to return SmackDown to the USA Network. NXT is also making its way to the CW Network.
This change will take effect for all of the shows in October 2024. The agreement keeps SmackDown on the network until 2029. RAW is expected to leave USA because the network paid so much for SmackDown’s rights. However, given the two companies’ long-standing relationship, that doesn’t completely rule them out if they can get a good deal.
This week, Triple H and WWE President Nick Khan met in Los Angeles, California, about Raw’s media rights, which is why Triple H missed Raw on Monday night.
Dave Meltzer reported in the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that WWE hopes to earn $400 million per year. Analysts believe it will be closer to $387 million per year.
Meltzer stated, “For most of the negotiation period, the idea was FX as the leader, with Netflix, USA, WBD and Amazon Prime all being talked about.”
Securing RAW’s rights would be a game changer for Warner Bros. Discovery, which currently airs AEW programming, given that AEW also needs to sign a new TV deal next year.
According to Meltzer, “The WBD version told to many this past week is that Nick Khan last went to WBD in October with a pitch and was turned down.”
Those in WBD have privately stated that there is nothing to the idea of TBS or TNT being the destination for Raw in recent days, whereas those in WWE have consistently viewed WBD as a longshot. The reason for this is the widespread belief that WBD owns a stake in AEW.
