Fox Fills Friday Night Slot vacated by WWE SmackDown with College Sports

Fox has unveiled its Fall 2024 schedule, revealing the fate of the Friday night slot previously occupied by WWE SmackDown. The professional wrestling show's television rights deal with Fox expires this year, and the network has opted not to renew.

Fox CEO Lachlan Murdoch cited advertising numbers not meeting expectations as a reason for the decision. In their place, viewers can expect a line-up of college sports programming, including Fox College Football Friday, Fox College Hoops, and Fox UFL.

This move comes amidst a period of change for WWE programming. Their flagship show, Raw, is set to move to a streaming platform, Netflix, in 2025. This has sparked discussions about WWE potentially abandoning the traditional Monday and Friday night format for their shows entirely. Both WWE President Nick Khan and Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel have suggested a more flexible approach to scheduling might be on the horizon.

Meanwhile, WWE has secured a new broadcast deal with USA Network, valued at an estimated $1.4 billion, to air SmackDown going forward. The exact details of the new broadcast schedule remain to be seen.

⚡ Joe Hendry Returns, Ignites WWE Feud

Making an appearance on Tueday's episode of WWE NXT, Joe Hendry was back at the Performance Center, living up to his moniker, "Say his name [...]

— Ben Kerin Jul 17, 2024 10:43AM