WWE SmackDown Moving To USA Network Earlier Than Expected

The second half of 2024 will see all three of WWE's major television shows reach the end of their current network deals. The red brand's flagship show was set to finish up with the USA Network at the end of September ahead of its move to Netflix, but WWE and USA have agreed to keep "WWE Raw" on the network until the end of the year. "WWE NXT" is set to become a part of The CW at the beginning of October, and "WWE Smackdown" will fill the wrestling-shaped void on the USA Network following the expiry of its current deal with FOX.

Like the deals with "Raw" and "NXT," "Smackdown" was set to expire at the end of September, but that is no longer the case. TVLine has revealed that the blue brand's weekly show will finish on FOX before the end of September, and will air on the USA Network for the first time on September 13. 

The reasoning behind this, according to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, is that FOX was originally going to air the majority of "Smackdown" episodes in September on FS1 due to college football. The USA Network decided to step in and agreed to take on "Smackdown" and load up the premiere episode to help with the rating. As for location, Seattle is being targeted as a potential spot for the September 13 episode.

Meltzer also noted that the USA network will push for a 'WWE Week' on the channel by having both "Raw" and "Smackdown," as well as airing the Bray Wyatt "Becoming Immortal" documentary, "Blockers" starring John Cena, and the "Fast and Furious" movies that star both Cena and Dwayne Johnson.