FOX Interested in Adding More WWE Programming

The move of WWE SmackDown to FOX in the fall of 2019 will be one of the biggest stories of next year, but it looks like SmackDown might not be the only WWE programming coming to the network.

It has long been speculated that FOX may be interesting in adding additional WWE content to their networks. While SmackDown will air on the broadcast version of FOX, there has been interest in adding more wrestling content on the FS1 channel.

According to a new article in The Athletic, Richard Deitsch reports that FOX is looking at adding a SmackDown pre-show and SmackDown post-show on FS1. Additionally, there has been discussions about the network doing post-shows for major WWE PPV events, similar to what they have done in the past with UFC.

One interesting note here is that Fox would hire the on-air talent for these shows, though WWE would also have to sign off on the talent the network chooses.

WWE's announcement of a new television deal with FOX earlier this year set the wrestling world ablaze. While WWE content has aired on broadcast television in the past, notably Saturday Night's Main Event on NBC and FOX and SmackDown on UPN, they've never had the consistent exposure that they will as part of this new deal. Their deal with NBC for Saturday Night's Main Event in the 1980s is the only thing close, though that show was not a weekly series like SmackDown.

WWE will also benefit from the NFL moving their Thursday night games to FOX. There will be cross-promotion done for WWE during these broadcasts, which will be some of the most watched programming of the year. With SmackDown airing the very next night on the same station, this is a great opportunity for exposure to new fans.

FOX has also been considering adding a mid-week weekly studio show centered on WWE to their FS1 line-up, though nothing has been officially announced there yet either.

Many were surprised that the USA Network let SmackDown go without attempting to match or beat the offer from FOX earlier this year. However, USA had decided to concentrate on retaining RAW (as they did) given the long history of the show on their network. WWE's top two weekly shows will now be split across two networks, which has left the WWE in their best financial situation in history.