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Rumour: WWE Smackdown Live to turn into three-hour show

Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio gave a positive note on Smackdown Live becoming a three-hour long show, someday.

By Raja
Smackdown GM (left) and commissioner (image courtesy Twitter)

Bengaluru, May 25: Smackdown Live broadcasting rights are still up for grabs as the current right holder is set to end ties from 2019. Previous reports suggested that NBC Universal acquired the rights for WWE Raw. That means the flagship show of the WWE will continue to feature in its home on prime time. USA Network broadcasts it at 8 PM, every Monday night. There will not be change to its three-hour long format, either.

But, could there be a possibility to see Smackdown in the same format. If you believe the current reports, the chances of the same are high. NBC Universal has not agreed to the deal by the WWE, till date. So, some of the other sports channels will be ready to buy the rights for the blue brand broadcast. Thereafter, they will try to host the show, in a bigger way.

There’s no denying that NBC not striking a deal for Smackdown can be a blessing for the WWE officials if some other network can grab this opportunity to telecast the weekly show of the WWE. This would be quite huge for them as Smackdown is the second longest running weekly televised program in TV history.



The new acquirer will want to convert the so-called B-show of the company to the A-show. This generates the idea of hosting Smackdown Live in a three-hour format. Only then, the superstars of the blue brand get more TV time just like the flagship show. This will ensure a tough competition to the WWE Raw brand, as well.

Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio gave a positive note on Smackdown Live becoming a three-hour long show, someday. This seems evident as a telecast shift is mandatory in case NBC leaves the deal in the future.



In that case, some of the tech giants showed their interest to make a new deal with biggest pro-wrestling promotion of the world. Check out the updates from SportsKeeda.com,

“Meltzer explained that given how Amazon and Facebook are looking to acquire the broadcasting rights for SmackDown Live. If SmackDown does end up on a streaming service there is no telling whether it’d be a 2-hour or 3-hour show.”

For now, WWE Smackdown Live will continue to air from USA Network on every Tuesday Nights. The deal is intact until the end of 2018. The broadcast will continue even on 2019 until a new slot is available for the show. Stay updated with this space to learn about any future deal for the concerned show.
Story first published: Friday, May 25, 2018, 14:03 [IST]
Other articles published on May 25, 2018