Shinsuke Nakamura and Karrion Kross battle throughout the WWE SmackDown at Coliseo de Puerto Rico Jos é Miguel Agrelot on May 05, 2023 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.(
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WWE’s “Friday Night SmackDown” will go back to U.S.A. Network in October 2024 as part of a five-year domestic media rights collaboration in between TKO Group Holdings and NBCUniversal, the business stated Thursday.
The offer comes out to approximately $287 million each year, an overall worth of over $1.4 billion, individuals knowledgeable about the matter informed CNBC. WWE does not anticipate to reach a rights arrangement for its flagship program “Raw” up until next year.
Smackdown was formerly on Fox with a rights arrangement for $205 million each year in a five-year offer. The brand-new arrangement is approximately a 40% boost.
Shares of TKO dropped more than 12% following the statement.
WWE will likewise produce 4 primetime specials each year to air on NBC starting in the 2024-2025 season.
“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,” stated Frances Berwick, chairman of NBCUniversalEntertainment “With Friday nights on 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.”
Disclosure: NBCUniversal is the moms and dad business of CNBC.
