Nick Khan reportedly agreed to a later start before Game 6 shifted to Thursday afternoon
Summary
– WWE was willing to move SmackDown to 9 p.m. ET to make room for the WNBA Finals
– The proposed Friday broadcast plan was abandoned after concerns about a possible Game 7
– Game 6 moved to Thursday afternoon, keeping SmackDown at its usual Friday time
WWE was prepared to adjust SmackDown’s start time to help the WNBA stage its Finals game at Atlanta’s State Farm Arena. The proposed change would have moved the Friday broadcast to 9 p.m. ET.
Atlanta Hawks and State Farm Arena CEO Steve Koonin reportedly contacted WWE president Nick Khan about the possibility. Game 6 between the Golden State Valkyries and Atlanta Dream would have aired on USA Network from 7 to 9 p.m., with SmackDown following on the same channel.
Khan reportedly said WWE would be willing to take the later window if it helped the WNBA hold the game at a larger venue. The arrangement did not move forward after concerns arose about a potential Game 7 falling on Election Night, November 3.
The WNBA instead scheduled Game 6 for Thursday, October 29, at 12:30 p.m. ET, and the Atlanta Hawks moved their game to 8 p.m. SmackDown remains scheduled for Friday, October 30, at its regular 8 p.m. ET time on USA Network.
