Shane McMahon’s Smackdown Return Announced
WWE has announced Shane McMahon will return to Smackdown tomorrow night, ahead of his WrestleMania 34 tag team match:
#SDLive Commissioner @shanemcmahon RETURNS TOMORROW NIGHT at 8/7c on @USA_Network just FIVE nights before teaming with @WWEDanielBryan against #KevinOwens & @SamiZayn at #WrestleMania! pic.twitter.com/0VDFuVqafT
— WWE (@WWE) April 3, 2018
Big Backstage Update On WWE TV Possibly Landing On FOX
As noted, FOX appears to be courting WWE for the rights to the company’s TV product when WWE’s deal with NBCUniversal expires next year.
According to a new report by The Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the possibility of WWE landing on FOX has taken a step forward as FOX is reportedly shifting its focus from UFC renegotiations to securing WWE TV rights.
Read Also: Whether with NBC Universal or FOX, WWE RAW Needs to Return to Two Hours
Contract renegotiations between FOX and UFC are reportedly not going well, and while a new deal was expected to be announced at the end of 2017, that never happened, and it appears as if FOX’s interest in UFC is fading. The feeling is that FOX can get WWE’s TV rights for about the same amount of money as UFC’s rights, but the network will net significantly higher ratings from WWE.
The Observer report adds FOX was prepared to offer UFC $200 million for the TV rights, which is roughly half of UFC’s asking price, and right now the MMA giant averages about $150 million per year under their deal with FOX. WWE’s exclusive negotiating window with NBCUniversal expires this summer, at which time they will be free to formally negotiate with anyone, including FOX.
The Wrestling Observer Newsletter