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What's the story?
Over the past few months, it's been speculated that the WWE has been trying to work on a new deal with FOX. Monday Night RAW will, more than likely, be staying on the USA Network, but it seems that Smackdown LIVE may be moving to a completely different service.
In case you didn't know...
The WWE has been trying to work on a deal with the FOX Network throughout 2018. FOX had been trying to ink out a new deal with the UFC, but the MMA giant's attempt at more money had given the WWE a chance to slide into FOX's line of programming.
However, when it comes to Monday Night RAW, the show will more than likely stay with NBC Universal's USA Network, and a deal could be made which would be worth three times their current deal. While RAW is essentially a lock for the USA Network, Smackdown Live is still looking for a home. While there's a possibility it could be FOX, the WWE might go in a different direction.
The heart of the matter
According to the reports in Variety.com, while FOX is the likely candidate to take the Blue Brand, there's a very good chance that the WWE will move Smackdown Live to an online streaming service. The Mixed Match Challenge, which aired earlier this year, was a test for the company to see how well their programming would do in a different market.
Smackdown Live could very well end up on a site like Facebook or Amazon in the near future, should they offer the right price. Variety also said that Smackdown Live would probably move to a three-hour format. However, none of that is confirmed and is pure speculation at the moment.
What's next?
While the USA Network is essentially a lock for Monday Night RAW, it seems that Smackdown Live will be moving to another network or service altogether. FOX is still working on bringing the WWE to their network, as the WWE product is seen as a great get, and could bring in the kind of viewership that the UFC was bringing in.
Author's take
Moving Smackdown Live to a streaming site would be an odd move. While the WWE has tested the waters this year with the Mixed Match Challenge, the company wasn't exactly happy with the ratings throughout most of its run. Although considering the lack of story or importance in the show, the viewership wasn't exactly terrible.
It's possible that moving their B-Show to a streaming site like Amazon or Hulu could work pretty well. With the cord cutting mentality growing more and more every day, it wouldn't be shocking to see the WWE thrive in that market.
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