WWE and USA Network today announced a multi-year extension for NXT, which will move to Tuesday nights live on USA Network at 8/7 C beginning April 13. The new agreement for the live, weekly two-hour show furthers WWE and USA’s nearly three-decade-long relationship.
“We are incredibly proud of our three-decade partnership with WWE and in extending USA’s NXT deal, we are further establishing our portfolio as an unrivalled home for quality WWE content,” said Frances Berwick, Chairman, Entertainment Networks, NBCU. “By transitioning NXT to a Tuesday timeslot where WWE has performed well in the past, we are giving our passionate fanbase more of what they love with back-to-back nights of exhilarating, live programming.”
“We are thrilled to continue WWE and NBCUniversal’s longstanding partnership with the extension of NXT on USA Network,” said Paul “Triple H” Levesque, WWE Executive Vice President, Global Talent Strategy & Development. “The move to Tuesdays provides a new opportunity for us to grow the NXT brand and enables our partner, USA Network, to continue to build its strong portfolio of sports and entertainment programming.”
Since launching on the network in September 2019, NXT has lifted USA to rank among the top cable entertainment networks in its regular Wednesday timeslot. In 2020, the weekly block averaged 847,000 total viewers and its special Tuesday episodes were even stronger, delivering gains of nearly +30% among the key 18-49 and 25-54 demos.
NXT is revolutionizing the world of sports entertainment with innovative styles from trend-setting and unapologetic Superstars including Finn Bálor, Adam Cole, Io Shirai, Karrion Kross, Johnny Gargano and Candice LeRae. The brand’s diverse roster consists of elite athletes from the NFL, collegiate and amateur sports, MMA and international sports such as rugby, kushti and kabaddi. It is also the birthplace to more than 80 percent of the current Raw and SmackDown rosters including Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, Charlotte Flair, Bayley, Sasha Banks, Alexa Bliss, Bray Wyatt, Bianca Belair, The Street Profits, Riddle and King Corbin.
All the new episodes will be available on-demand in the United States exclusively on Peacock, the day after its airing on USA Network. NXT will continue to emanate from the state-of-the-art Capitol Wrestling Center in Orlando, Florida.
The Wednesday Night war is over, if there have ever been one. Neither WWE nor AEW won it, just because the decision came from NXT’s broadcaster. NBCSN was shutting down meaning, hockey games were possibly taking NXT’s slot on Wednesday. This move was made official as WWE and USA announced a “multi-year” extension to the contract between the two parties to continue airing NXT on USA Network. The fact Impact Wrestling announced last week it would move to its historic Thursday night slot was a hint three major wrestling shows, AEW Dark, NXT and IMPACT, couldn’t coexist the same Tuesday night if NXT was moving.
This announcement is, in a way, a great move for the fans who won’t have to choose anymore between Dynamite and NXT on Wednesdays. Every day of the week, the fans could appreciate a great variety of shows from different companies, knowing that those airing on Fite or YouTube can be watched whenever the fan wants via replay.
The new weekly schedule is will be as so:
- Monday: WWE RAW (TV), AEW Dark Elevation (YouTube), ROH (Fite TV)
- Tuesday: NXT (TV & WWE Network), AEW Dark (YouTube), NWA Powerrr (Fite TV)
- Wednesday: MLW (YouTube), AEW Dynamite (TV)
- Thursday: NXT UK (WWE Network), Behind The Impact & IMPACT (TV & Twitch)
- Friday: SmackDown (TV)
Triple H has since reacted to the announcement. “We now feel like we’re in a good place where we can move that consistent fanbase over to Tuesdays,” Triple H said. “We believe they’ll follow us. That way we can grow the brand more given the lead-in from ‘Monday Night RAW,’ which we’ve seen in the past.”
NXT will now air on Peacock and the WWE Network each Wednesday, which means a day after USA. “The ability for us to be on [Peacock], a bigger platform where so many more people have the opportunity to experience it and to let it grow into something more, is very exciting,” Triple H said. “And once you sample it, we believe that the product is something that people will stick with and become involved in.”
It’s definitely a great time to be a wrestling fan…
All pics and videos courtesy of WWE