WWE has finalized its Thanksgiving holiday week schedule, making a change that will give talent and crew a rare day off from live television. According to WrestleVotes Radio, the Black Friday edition of SmackDown (November 29) will not air live but will instead be taped in advance.
To accommodate this, WWE will hold a dual taping on Friday, November 22 in Denver, Colorado, producing both the live episode for that night and the November 29 show. This adjustment ensures that performers will be home with their families for the holiday weekend.
The move comes after past criticism of WWE running holiday shows, including the 2017 Raw on Christmas night in Chicago, which, despite backlash, sold out the Allstate Arena. Under TKO’s new strategy to maximize profits, WWE has cut back on house shows in recent years, making schedule adjustments like this more feasible.
Historically, Thanksgiving was one of the biggest nights of the year for wrestling, particularly for Jim Crockett Promotions and the NWA, whose Starrcade event was established in the 1980s as a Thanksgiving tradition and rivaled WrestleMania in significance. While that tradition has largely faded, WWE continues to run successful live event tours during the week between Christmas and New Year’s, capitalizing on holiday crowds.
The taped Black Friday SmackDown will also serve as the go-home show for WWE Survivor Series, which takes place the following night, Saturday, November 30, in San Diego, California.
