Wrestling legend wants major network to purchase WWE SmackDown's rights (Exclusive)
Bill Apter wants WWE SmackDown to move to the USA Network, the home to RAW and NXT if FOX doesn't renew its deal with the blue brand.
SmackDown has been the promotion's biggest rating puller among its weekly programming, but things are still far from rosy. A recent report suggested that FOX Network was losing massive amounts on their deal with SmackDown every year, which kickstarted in 2019 and runs until 2024.
The losses are projected to increase for 2022-2023 and 2023-2024. In such a situation, it's safe to say FOX might be wary of renewing its partnership to air the Friday Night show.
On Sportskeeda Wrestling's The Wrestling Time Machine podcast hosted by Mac Davis, Bill Apter discussed what could happen in this case.
Apter suggested that since WWE has a successful association with USA Network, which airs RAW and NXT, SmackDown could, too, find a home on the network. This way, Bill Apter feels, the whole WWE family could be under one roof.
"Why not offer SmackDown to USA Network again? RAW is doing great numbers. They're making money, so maybe they'd want another product. They've got NXT, and they've got RAW, so why not get the whole family in there?" said Bill Apter. (26:34 - 26:50)
Listen to the podcast at the link below:
Bill Apter wants The Rock to purchase WWE
With Vince McMahon returning to negotiate a media rights deal and a potential sale of the company, the names of several prospective buyers have popped up. Among them are Disney, Netflix, FOX, Amazon, and more.
However, Bill Apter wants The Rock and his Seven Bucks Productions to purchase WWE. During the same conversation, the legendary journalist explained that the companies coming together could work wonders.
"He needs to keep control. If he sells the company, somehow, he's going to remain partially in control. Maybe it'll be a partnership, and like I kept saying, and I wrote a column about the man who needs to do that is Dwayne Johnson and his Seven Bucks production. I think a partnership between that company and WWE would be magic. Abolutely magic," said Bill Apter. (20:12 - 20:36)
WON: Morgan Stanley did analysis for Smackdown & felt they couldn’t justify the price tag for the show.
In the 2020-21 season, FOX paid $196.7 million on the show & ended up with $134 million in losses. In 2021-22, FOX paid $208.5 million & ended up with $145 million in losses.
Though nothing is set in stone yet, it's safe to say that the global juggernaut being sold is only a matter of time now.
What do you think of Bill Apter's take on why SmackDown should move to USA Network? Sound off in the comments section below.
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