WWE are set to receive massive benefits from their latest media rights deal for NXT.
As reported on November 7th, WWE NXT will be leaving the USA Network in 2024 and will air on CW Sports. Following the news being made official by the company, more information has come to light as to the specifics and what fans should expect moving forward.
As reported by Fightful Select, the deal itself was described as a “major domino to fall” as 2 out of 3 of their weekly shows now have a home until 2024, with negotiations for Raw still being finalised. The deal itself is said to have been discussed for months and was in play well before the NWA began their negotiations with the network.
Those within the company are very happy with the progression of the brand as a whole as it was a WWE Network exclusive show that generated no advertising revenue prior to the move to the USA Network in 2019 and now has become a multi-million addition to the brand. In regards to the value of the deal, it was noted in the TKO earnings call that the new deal is a 70% increase on the current deal. However, one WWE source noted to Fightful that when everything is factored in it is more like 200%. While there is no concrete figure, Deadline has reported that the current deal with USA is worth around $15 million.
What Changes Will WWE Fans See?
In terms of presentation, it is not expected to be different to what is currently seen each week. The show is expected to remain on Tuesday nights when the switch takes place in October 2024 and will have the same look and feel. It is also noted that those in NXT hope that the inclusion of main roster stars continue now that the media rights deal has been secured.
NXT has seen multiple stars from Raw make the trip to Orlando on Tuesday nights with stars such as Becky Lynch and Dominik Mysterio having lengthy reigns with the top championships on the brand throughout the autumn, with Mysterio still reigning as North American Champion at the time of writing. The repeated inclusions of main roster stars have been attributed as one of the reasons why the brand has seen strong ratings week after week.
According to a new report, huge changes are expected to take place on WWE NXT when the switch has been completed.