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As part of a five-year domestic media rights agreement between TKO Group Holdings and NBCUniversal, WWE’s “Friday Night SmackDown” will return to USA Network in October 2024. The deal is valued at over $1.4 billion, averaging $287 million annually. WWE does not expect to secure a rights agreement for its flagship program, “Raw,” until the following year.
Since October 2019, “SmackDown” has been broadcast on Fox in a five-year rights agreement worth $205 million annually, making this new arrangement about a 40% increase. The show aired on USA Network for the last time from 2016 to 2019.
Frances Berwick, chairman of NBCUniversal Entertainment, stated, “It’s a privilege and thrill to continue NBCU’s decades-long partnership with WWE which has helped cement USA Network’s consistent position as the top-rated cable entertainment network in live viewership.” He added, “With Friday nights on the USA, primetime specials on NBC, and the WWE hub on Peacock, we’ll continue to use the power of our portfolio to super-serve this passionate fanbase.”
TKO Group Holdings was formed after WWE and Endeavor’s UFC merged. Last week, TKO began trading on the NYSE. Starting with the 2024–2025 season, WWE will also produce four prime-time specials each year for NBC.