CW President Dennis Miller Discusses Budget Constraints and New Opportunities
Summary
– WWE NXT is set to move from USA Network to the CW Network in October, maintaining its Tuesday night slot.
– CW President Dennis Miller revealed that RAW and SmackDown were beyond the network’s budget, but NXT fit their strategy for sports programming.
– WWE’s deal with Netflix for Monday Night RAW, valued at over $5 billion, will begin in January 2025.
WWE is navigating a transformative period marked by significant changes and new opportunities, including the move of NXT to the CW Network this fall. This shift comes as WWE expands its reach and redefines its broadcasting strategy.
Starting in October, NXT will air on the CW Network, moving from its long-time home on USA Network. This change aims to tap into CW’s growing portfolio of live sports, which includes events like Xfinity races and various collegiate sports. Despite this transition, NXT will retain its Tuesday night time slot, ensuring continuity for its dedicated viewership.
In a recent discussion with Joe Otterson of Variety, CW President Dennis Miller explained the network’s decision-making process. He acknowledged that while acquiring WWE’s flagship shows, Monday Night RAW and Friday Night SmackDown, was financially unfeasible, NXT presented a more attainable and strategic option.
“We knew that ‘Raw’ and ‘SmackDown’ were a little bit beyond our budget here,” Miller said. “Then if you look, we have a lot of sports where we have kind of that next tier moving into the first tier here, whether it’s the Xfinity races leading into the Cup, or it’s NXT leading into ‘Raw’ and ‘SmackDown.’ So it just started to fit. Then over the course of a couple of months, we went back and forth and got the deal done.”
Additionally, WWE’s groundbreaking deal with Netflix to move Monday Night RAW to the streaming service has captured significant attention. Announced on January 23rd, the agreement is valued at over $5 billion for a ten-year duration, set to commence in January 2025. This landmark deal underscores WWE’s commitment to broadening its audience base and leveraging new media platforms.
As WWE continues to pull in substantial revenue with these new arrangements, the move to CW is expected to offer fresh opportunities for NXT. Fans eagerly anticipate how the transition will unfold and what changes might be in store for the brand once it settles into its new broadcasting home.
