WWE News: FOX executive reveals why network is not concerned with low SmackDown ratings

What's the story?

WWE SmackDown Live will officially move to FOX Sports on Friday nights beginning on October 4th, and the show will kickoff a massive new money deal between WWE and FOX.

In a new interview for The Big Lead, SVP of Sales at Fox Sports Mark Evans addressed the network's acquisition of SmackDown Live amidst declining WWE TV ratings.

In case you didn't know...

Shortly after WrestleMania 35, WWE and Vince McMahon introduced the Wildcard Rule on WWE TV, a tactic being used to help spike declining ratings for both Raw and SmackDown Live.

The rule has effectively ended the brand split in WWE, with top stars from Raw regularly appearing on SmackDown, and vice versa. The device has yielded a wavering amount of success for WWE, however, the Wildcard Rule will reportedly come to an end once SmackDown makes its move to FOX Sports.

The heart of the matter

In a new interview conducted for The Big Lead, Mark Evans of FOX Sports did not seem concerned with declining WWE TV ratings, noting the network has big plans for the presentation of SmackDown Live when it moves to the network on October 2nd.

"We feel how we’re going to present and how we’re going to promote the WWE is going to inject it with such a new life," Evans said. "It’s going to be a home run for us."

What's next?

It has been reported in recent months that WWE plans to present Raw and SmackDown Live as two very different TV shows once the blue brand moves to FOX Sports, which could help freshen up SmackDown in terms of look and feel.

Additionally, with FOX including SmackDown Live in its weekly sports package, it's likely the network will be presenting the show as more of a sports broadcast than an entertainment broadcast.

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How do you think SmackDown Live will fare on FOX Sports? Let us know in the comment section!