Everything seems to be on the table when it comes to the television future of the WWE. Nick Khan spoke at the MoffettNathanson Technology Media and Telecom Conference on Thursday and mentioned that the company is willing to make some changes to accommodate a new television deal, should Smackdown leave FOX.
When WWE Smackdown launched in 1999, it aired on Thursday nights. The show moved to Fridays in 2005. It became part of FOX’s lineup in 2019 and immediately saw its ratings increase.
The WWE’s media rights deals with Comcast and FOX are set to expire. Right now, both companies are in an exclusive negotiating window to renew their deals.
FOX CEO Lachlan Murdoch said that as of March, the network had not begun negotiations to retain Smackdown. The program was not mentioned at FOX’s upfront presentation earlier this week.
Khan, WWE’s CEO, spoke glowingly of two companies at the MoffettNathanson conference on Thursday. He praised Amazon’s work with the NFL. He also made the case that given what Netflix has said that entering the live sports business would be tough since it cannot control or know the outcomes ahead of time, WWE could be an ideal fit for that company.
Price may not be the only thing that drives the decision when it comes to the next WWE television contracts, but it will be a factor. Khan has a number in mind too. He said that he is expecting a 150% increase over the current deals. Tony Maglio of IndieWire points out that means Khan wants at least $1.5 billion for the WWE’s next deals.
