Massive WWE SmackDown change to be made earlier than expected; what will be different?

SmackDown is one of WWE's two flagship programs. Host to superstars like the Undisputed WWE Champion, Cody Rhodes, Randy Orton, LA Knight, Kevin Owens, AJ Styles, Bayley, Bianca Belair, Jade Cargill, Roman Reigns, and Tiffany Stratton, the blue brand's popularity in recent times has been off the charts. At a time when SmackDown is enjoying fan attention, the brand is set to undergo a massive change.

September onwards, the WWE Universe will witness the brand air on the USA Network. While a deal to move from Fox to USA was agreed last year, the change was supposed to happen in October. However, the date has now been moved ahead, and SmackDown will premiere on the USA Network on September 13, 2024.

With this move, fans can expect changes in advertising, no more progressive match flo, etc. Apart from these changes, there is also a possibility that the promotion might experiment with new camera angles and other changes to make the show more exciting.

The blue brand's early move to the USA Network in September will make the network home to all three WWE shows. However, this won't last long as NXT will move to the CW Network in October 2024, and RAW will move to Netflix in January 2025.

---

WWE President Nick Khan had expressed his excitement about SmackDown's move to the USA Network

Over the years, WWE President Nick Khan has been an instrumental figure for the promotion. Khan has been one of the key reasons behind the company's growth and successful deals. When SmackDown's move to the USA Network was confirmed last year, Khan had expressed his excitement.

In a brief statement that was released when the announcement was made, Khan mentioned that NBC, which owns the USA Network, had been a tremendous partner to WWE for decades. The WWE President also mentioned that he looked forward to debuting special events annually on the network.

Nick Khan said:

“NBCUniversal has been a tremendous partner of WWE for decades. We are excited to extend this longstanding relationship by bringing SmackDown to the USA Network on Friday nights and look forward to debuting multiple WWE special events annually on NBC.”

Along with Khan, Frances Berwick, Chairman of NBC Universal Entertainment had also expressed his happiness about the move.

"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. 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,'' said Berwick.

With both parties content about the move, it will be interesting to see how things work out. Wrestling fans around the world will be keen to see the changes that take place on the blue brand following this move.