On the latest Wrestling Observer Radio show, Garrett Gonzales and Dave Meltzer discussed the TV rights and what could happen if WWE gets a big offer to move SmackDown off of FOX.
USA Network consistently ranks among the top cable networks every week primarily because of WWE programming and with TV ratings declining for most of the scripted shows, the networks are relying more on live/sports programming to keep them afloat.
There was a time when the major TV networks like NBC and FOX would have never aired a weekly wrestling show but times have changed and wrestling has consistently drawn strong numbers every Friday night for FOX. Meltzer stated on WOR that he has heard talk about NBC getting SmackDown but that is far from locked in.
“I know that there was talk of NBC getting SmackDown,” Meltzer said. “There’s been no official negotiations but I have absolutely heard the idea of NBC being interested as far as the idea of getting everything and putting SmackDown on the network. That does make sense.”
Meltzer made it clear that he doesn’t know if that will actually happen but it seems like more of a possibility than a few years ago. He said, “Will they do it? I don’t know. They have their own Friday night stuff that’s been around for years and years, we’ll see. That wouldn’t surprise me if NBC takes everything and puts SmackDown on.”
For what it’s worth, The Sports Business Journal’s John Ourand wrote an article in December where he predicted that WWE would have a new TV deal locked in by the end of this year and that NBCU would keep Raw and NXT and SmackDown would move to one of their NBC channels.
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