More on Why WWE Wasn't Featured at the 2023 Upfronts
WWE was noticeably absent from both the NBCUniversal and Fox upfront presentations this year, despite the lucrative deals the company has with the two networks to air Monday Night Raw, NXT and Friday Night SmackDown on a weekly basis. The current deals for Raw and SmackDown are set to expire in 2024, and while negotiations for re-upping those deals were recently described as "productive" by CEO Nick Khan, the exclusive negotiating window has reportedly closed (or is about to).
That, according to PWInsider, is why WWE was absent from either presentation outside beyond popping up in NBCU's video package for Peacock. Mike Johnson wrote, "WWE CEO Nick Khan noted during the most recent stockholders call that those outlets had about a month of exclusive negotiating rights and the belief within the company is they are about to or have already hit the point where WWE can open discussions with all potential media rights bidders for Raw, Smackdown, etc. in the United States."
Where do you think the three shows could wind up if NBC and Fox don't agree on new deals? Tell us your thoughts in the comments and stay tuned for more coverage on the negotiations as they unfold.
WWE is currently in the process of a merger with the UFC to form a new company under the Endeavor banner and the speculation of how that merger will be handled has been a popular topic as of late. Even Dwayne Johnson was asked about it last week during an interview with CNBC.
"I see smooth sailing with those guys. They've known each other for a very long time," Johnson said. "We all have, as a matter of fact, and I see smooth sailing with this. This has been a long time coming. If you think about where Vince (McMahon) started. I often talk about my seven bucks moment, how I had seven bucks in my pocket when I was cut from the Canadian Football League. Vince had his seven bucks moment as well when he leveraged every dollar he had for the very first WrestleMania. Years later, he creates this merger with Ari that is in the billions of dollars. I see, when I say smooth sailing, these guys are adamant on creating an incredible conglomerate that is going to entertain the masses. Between WWE, UFC, Bullriding, and probably other things that are coming down the pipe, I'm excited about this merger."