Why NXT Should move to FS1 with the new FOX TV deal in 2019

NXT
NXT

As most people are aware of, WWE has signed a multi-billion dollar year with FOX, which will have Smackdown moving to FOX beginning in the fall of next year. However, one other WWE show should move to FOX as well, and that is NXT.

With the new television deal, it was also revealed that there may be a one-hour studio show that would air on FS1, with the thought being that Talking Smack would return in that spot, but instead of Talking Smack, NXT should air on FS1. NXT is already a one-hour show, and arguably the best of the three WWE brands. If NXT were to air on FS1, which is in millions of households, it will be exposed to more people, which might bring new eyes and fans to WWE. When NXT aired on the USA Network during "WWE week", it garnered 841,000 viewers, which is not bad at all for WWE's "developmental" show's debut. On FS1, I feel as if it could top over a million viewers on a weekly basis, which is more than what Talking Smack or any other studio show would get.

With more eyes on the NXT product, it will help a lot of the guys on the NXT roster when they are called up to the main roster. We have seen time after time that some NXT acts that were hot on the NXT roster become major flops when they are called up. While most of that is creative's control, some of it can also be that most of the people in the crowd are casual fans, and as a result, probably don't have a WWE Network subscription and don't watch NXT, so they don't know how to react to some of the acts, as opposed to a hardcore fan who watches NXT on a weekly basis. Look at someone like Tye Dillinger for example, he and the "Perfect 10" gimmick were really over in NXT, but after he was called up, he has barely been used and the "10" chant isn't as big as it was in Full Salt University. The most recent examples are Authors of Pain and Sanity, who were called up this year in the most recent Superstar shakeup. and have yet to be used, outside of a couple of matches on RAW for AOP.

Many people might think this move may hurt that WWE Network, but in actuality, I don/t think it would have much of an effect at all. The main purpose of the WWE Network is for subscribers to have access to the old episode of RAW, Smackdown, WCW, etc. on demand, as well as access to exclusive shows and events. Moving NXT to FS1 wouldn't change that, and they can still have the Takeover specials on the network. Plus, with WWE throwing free trials of the Network at fans on seemingly a monthly basis, they won't be losing subscribers by moving NXT to FS1, so what is there to lose by trying it?