Are WWE NXT And 205 Live Included In New TV Deals?
There has been some speculation on WWE NXT or WWE 205 Live possibly coming to Fox or the USA Network with the new TV deals but it looks like those shows will be staying exclusive to the WWE Network. There have been no negotiations for other WWE TV shows to come to Fox or NBCUniversal, according to the Dave Meltzer in the latest edition of The Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
On a related note, the Wrestling Observer Newsletter adds that there is no talk of trying to negotiate TV deals to move pay-per-view events from the WWE Network to monthly Sunday TV specials. As noted on Thursday, there are plans for a weekly studio show to air on FS1 but it looks like that will be the only extra programming to come out of the new deals.
As noted, Fox's new five-year deal for SmackDown is worth $1.025 billion ($205 million per year) while NBCUniversal's deal for RAW to air on the USA Network is worth a reported $265 million per year. If the two deals are finalized at the reported terms, they would be worth a combined $470 million per year, a 261% increase from the reported $130 million per year they are receiving for both shows under the current NBCU deal.
Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter
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