WWE confirms that Tribute to the Troops is returning this December
Yesterday it was reported that there were internal talks within WWE about once again airing a Tribute to the Troops special sometime in December. Earlier this morning, WWE confirmed that WWE Tribute to the Troops will in fact return next month, airing via FOX on December 6th.
This is the first time in the history of Tribute to the Troops that FOX will air the special. They will do so adjacent to regional NFL football games airing on the same day.
With the WWE airing on a Sunday afternoon surrounded by games from the National Football League, it will only increase the exposure of the event and get a lot more eyes on it than it's probably seen in recent years.
WWE brings Tribute to the Troops back to television in 2020
Last year was the first-ever edition of the Tribute to the Troops event that never aired on television. It had been an annual event for the company dating back all the way to 2003. It's certainly nice to see WWE bringing it back this year, and FOX is the perfect partner to do it with.
This year's edition of Tribute to the Troops will broadcast from the WWE ThunderDome. It will include servicemen and women from the Military in attendance. This is the first time since the ThunderDome was created that any type of live fans will be in attendance in the venue.
Below is the press release from WWE regarding the return of the patriotic event...
18th ANNUAL WWE® TRIBUTE TO THE TROOPS® TO AIR ON FOX
STAMFORD, Conn., November 11, 2020 – 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.
“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,” said Eric Shanks, Chief Executive Officer & Executive Producer, FOX Sports.
“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,” said Vince McMahon, WWE Chairman & CEO.
In what is considered TV’s most patriotic and heartwarming show of the year, WWE began Tribute to the Troops in 2003. It was established to honor and thank servicemen, women, and their families for their continued sacrifice to the country. In addition to the event, WWE will also be hosting virtual meet and greet sessions with WWE Superstars and military members.
Marine Corps Air Station New River in North Carolina is home to Marine Aircraft Groups 26 and 29, Headquarters and Support squadron, and several premiere training units. New River also serves as the East Coast’s only rotary wing and tiltrotor Air Station, with approximately 8,000 Marines, Sailors and civilian employees.
With more than 37,000 active duty Soldiers and Airmen assigned to the post along with more than 100,000 family members, Fort Hood in Texas is the largest active duty armored post in the United States Armed Forces. It trains an additional 22,000 Reserve Soldiers annually.
USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) is a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier responsible for protecting American interests across the globe. With 4.5 acres of sovereign U.S. territory, 75 aircraft, and a crew in excess of 5,000 Sailors while deployed, the John C. Stennis is one of the most lethal assets. It is capable of engaging in sustained power projection operations in support of U.S. and coalition forces.
The pinnacle in Naval Aviation training, Naval Air Station Fallon is the US Navy’s “Carrier in the Desert.” As the home of TOPGUN, the air base in Nevada’s high desert trains aircrews and Navy SEALS before they deploy around the globe.
Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake in Ridgecrest, CA, covers more than 1.1 million acres. It is known for research, development and testing of some of the world's most cutting-edge weapons, including the Sidewinder and Tomahawk.
In the coming weeks, WWE will announce celebrity guests from the world of sports and entertainment that will take part during the Tribute to the Troops broadcast on FOX.
About WWE
WWE, a publicly traded company (NYSE: WWE), is an integrated media organization and recognized leader in global entertainment. The Company consists of a portfolio of businesses that create and deliver original content 52 weeks a year to a global audience.
WWE is committed to family-friendly entertainment on its television programming, pay-per-view, digital media and publishing platforms. WWE’s TV-PG, family-friendly programming can be seen in more than 800 million homes worldwide in 28 languages.
WWE Network, the first-ever 24/7 over-the-top premium network that includes all live pay-per-views, scheduled programming and a massive video-on-demand library, is currently available in more than 180 countries.
The Company is headquartered in Stamford, Conn., with offices in New York, Los Angeles, London, Mexico City, Mumbai, Shanghai, Singapore, Dubai, Munich and Tokyo.
Additional information on WWE (NYSE: WWE) can be found at wwe.com and corporate.wwe.com. For information on our global activities, go to http://www.wwe.com/worldwide/.
About FOX Sports
FOX Sports is the umbrella entity representing FOX Corporation’s wide array of multi-platform US-based sports assets.
Built with brands capable of reaching more than 100 million viewers in a single weekend, the business has ownership and interests in linear television networks, digital and mobile programming, broadband platforms, multiple web sites, joint-venture businesses and several licensing relationships.
FOX Sports includes the sports television arm of the FOX Network; FS1, FS2, FOX Soccer Plus and FOX Deportes. FOX Sports’ digital properties include FOXSports.com and the FOX Sports App, which provides live streaming video of FOX Sports content, instant scores, stats and alerts to iOS and Android devices.
Additionally, FOX Sports and social broadcasting platform Caffeine jointly own Caffeine Studios which creates exclusive eSports, sports and live entertainment content. Also included in FOX Sports’ portfolio are FOX’s interests in joint-venture business Big Ten Network, a licensing and commercial relationship with
The Stars Group that created the FOX Bet sports betting platform and the FOX Bet Super 6 free-to-play game, as well as a licensing agreement that established the FOX Sports Radio Network.