NXT officially moving to Tuesday nights
After months of speculation, NXT will be leaving its current time slot on Wednesday nights, moving to Tuesday nights beginning April 13.
In an announcement from WWE on Tuesday morning, it was revealed that the company has extended its television partnership with the USA Network. However, the key takeaway from the announcement was the news of NXT's move to Tuesdays.
Here's a segment from the official press release:
"We are incredibly proud of our three-decade partnership with WWE and in extending NXT's USA deal, we are further establishing our portfolio as an unrivaled home for quality WWE content," said Frances Berwick, Chairman, Entertainment Networks, NBCUniversal. "By transitioning NXT to a Tuesday timeslot where WWE has performed well in the past, we are giving our passionate fanbase more of what they love with back-to-back nights of exhilarating live programming."
Rumors had been circulating regarding WWE's desire to move NXT to a different day of the week as far back as December. While some dismissed the rumors as mere internet whispers, today's announcement from WWE and the USA Network confirms the decision has been in the pipeline for a while.
With NXT moving, is this the end of the "Wednesday Night War?"
Since they both began to air on cable television, NXT and All Elite Wrestling (AEW) have been embroiled in a bitter rivalry over television ratings given they both aired at the same time, on the same night of the week.
While the vast majority of these weeks saw AEW's numbers top those of WWE's black and gold brand, WWE continued to maintain its stance of going head to head with the upstart company in order to draw away some viewers.
However, the "Wednesday Night War" seems to have come to an end, and it will be interesting to see how much the numbers for both shows fluctuate over the coming weeks and months.
What do you think will happen to both the NXT and AEW viewership numbers? Which show will prevail now that they're going to be featured on separate nights? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.