The CW Adds WWE’s NXT To Sports Lineup; Five-Year Deal Will See Showcase For Up-And-Coming Wrestlers Move From USA Network
07.11.2023 - 22:39
/ deadline.com
The CW will become the official broadcast home of WWE NXT in a new five-year deal that will see the showcase for WWE’s up-and-coming stars move from USA Network in October of 2024.
The network will air 52 live weekly events throughout the season, making NXT the latest addition to the CW’s growing roster of live sports, including ACC football and basketball games airing Saturdays throughout the season, and LIV Golf. The CW is also the new home of weekly studio series Inside the NFL and will broadcast the NASCAR Xfinity Series beginning in 2025. The network said it will soon offer more than 500 hours of sports programming.
NXT is part of TKO Group, the newly created public company that houses WWE and UFC, and is majority-owned by Endeavor.
WWE renewals have been a bit of musical chairs. In September, TKO announced that WWE and NBCUniversal have agreed to a five-year domestic media rights deal that will bring Friday Night SmackDown to USA Network, also starting in Oct. 2024, exiting its current home on Fox. That deal is said to be worth $200 million. Raw, WWE’s top-rated flagship property that airs Mondays on USA Network is not yet spoken for when its deal is up.
Financial terms of the CW’s NXT deal weren’t released but Deadline hears it’s more than double the $15 million a year price tag of the current contract.
“We are thrilled to welcome the WWE brand into the CW Sports portfolio as they play an integral role in our mission to bring live sporting events to the network year-round,” said network president Dennis Miller. “WWE NXT is a perfect fit for The CW thanks to its dynamic young talent featuring the hottest rising stars in the sport and exhilarating, unpredictable weekly events. The passion and engagement of
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