According to reports, WWE’s NXT brand will be making a move to the USA Network starting in September as it will go head-to-head with AEW’s weekly show on TNT slated to debut in October.
Both shows are expected to be two hours long starting at 8/9 ct and will mark the return of the weeknight television war between two big-time wrestling brands, something that fans haven’t seen since the mid to late 90s
“The move to USA Network provides an opportunity to deepen our relationship with NBCUniversal and further build the NXT brand,” said Vince McMahon, WWE chairman & CEO. “Over the long term our goal is to develop a following that can be monetized to the same level as our flagship programs, ‘Raw’ and ‘SmackDown.’”
“USA Network and WWE have one of the longest and most successful partnerships in television history,” said Chris McCumber, president of USA and SYFY. “As the #1 cable entertainment network, we’re excited to add ‘NXT’ to our weekly lineup alongside powerhouse flagship ‘Raw,’ and to bring a new generation of Superstars to a wide audience.”
“NXT” launched in 2010 with its primary purpose being to serve as a platform for talent to get exposure in front of a televised audience and ultimately (hopefully) make their way onto the bigger WWE brands “Raw” and “SmackDown.” According to WWE, 80% of its current main-roster talent came through NXT.
Currently, NXT airs on the WWE Network Wednesday night’s over a one-hour time block and primarily serves as a “minor-league” promotion to RAW and Smackdown. Nonetheless NXT’s move to the USA Network puts an even tighter grip on WWE’s mainstream exposure on cable television. With RAW also on the USA Network and Smackdown moving to FOX this October, the WWE now has three live wrestling shows on cable tv with and anticipated weekly recap show coming to FS1 sometime in the near future.
🤔 Initial thoughts on the NXT move
With stars like Adam Cole, Velveteen Dream, Shayna Baszler, Johnny Gargano, Matt Riddle, Bianca Belair, Io Shirai, Candice LeRae, Tommaso Ciampa, Kyle O’Reilly, and Bobby Fish, the NXT brand without a doubt has the talent to go head-to-head with AEW Wednesday nights in the fall. Needless to say too, head-to-head wrestling programs from two very formidable brands should ultimately benefit the fans as both WWE and AEW will be undoubtedly looking to top each other each and every Wednesday night.
However there still has to be some worry from the tried and true NXT fans out there.
For instance, NXT has always been more about the wrestling and in-ring competition than the drama and storylines that have for the most part encompassed RAW and Smackdown. Not that drama and storylines is a bad thing, it’s something that certainly makes pro wrestling interesting.
But on that same token, the wrestling first, drama second approach by NXT helped contribute to the overall charm of the brand, something the purest pro wrestling fans could appreciate.
At this point, it’s unclear how that approach will change but you have to assume it will to some extent considering the effort it’ll take to fill a two-hour time slot as opposed to a one-hour one.
Then there’s that independent feel to the brand, again something that is totally lost and understandably so with Raw and Smackdown. To the extent of the popularity level of NXT it’s something we haven’t seen since ECW was in it’s heyday and available to a more wide-ranging audience unlike Ring of Honor or in some cases Impact Wrestling.
But if there’s one thing you can probably count on is that if Triple-H is still in charge — which you assume he still will be — the brand should be alright and continue to offer fans something that Smackdown and RAW doesn’t. Just please god keep Vince McMahon as far away from the product as possible.
