WWE Tribute to the Troops Special Returning to Television

WWE’s annual Tribute to the Troops special will return to television in December, as the 18th installment in the annual event will air on Dec. 6 on the FOX Network. FOX Sports’ Ryan Satin broke the news, prompting WWE to put out a press release. The release read, “The 18th annual WWE Tribute to the Troops will air on FOX on Sunday, December 6, adjacent to Sunday’s regional NFL broadcasts. Viewers with an NFL matchup airing at 1:00 PM ET can watch WWE Tribute to the Troops at 4:30 PM ET; viewers with an NFL matchup airing at 4:05 PM ET can watch the special at 3:00 PM ET. The event will take place inside the state-of-the-art WWE ThunderDome™, and include servicemen and women and their families from Marine Corps Air Station New River, US Army Post Fort Hood, U.S. Navy Aircraft Carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74), Naval Air Station Fallon and Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake.”

“In the coming weeks, WWE will announce celebrity guests from the world of sports and entertainment that will take part in the Tribute to the Troops broadcast on FOX,” the release later added.

Both Vince McMahon and FOX Sports CEO Eric Shanks commented in the release.

“This is a unique time and we look forward to providing our troops and their families with an interactive experience that only WWE can deliver as we celebrate our servicemen and women with millions of our fans watching at home on FOX,” McMahon said.

“Supporting the United States military year-round is an essential part of FOX Sports’ mission, and partnering with WWE on their Tribute to the Troops is an incredible extension of this ongoing commitment,” Shanks added.

The event, created by McMahon and John “Bradshaw” Layfield, debuted in 2003 as WWE would travel annual overseas to Iraq and Afghanistan to perform live in front of members of the US Armed Forces. The last special to air on television came in late 2018.

The special could potentially be the last event to air from inside the ThunderDome, as WWE’s contract with the Orlando Amway Center is reportedly expiring soon.