Opinion: NXT moving to USA Network is good for the brand and can only help it

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily those of Sportskeeda.

It was announced today that NXT would be moving to the USA Network, joining the flagship show RAW next month, essentially replacing SmackDown, which is moving to FOX in October. While some fans are concerned about what this means for the brand, I think moving to television and expanding to two hours can only help NXT.

The first benefit of moving to the USA Network is that NXT will be exposed to more people now. While there isn’t an exact number of viewers that watch NXT on the WWE Network, there are positive signs. When NXT appeared on the USA Network during December of 2017, it drew nearly 850,000 viewers. The Gold and Black brand has grown since then, so it is not too much of a stretch to assume that NXT can do over one million viewers every week on the USA Network. With more people watching NXT, it will also help when the superstars get called up to the main roster, as now more fans will be familiar with them and their characters.

Another advantage of moving to the USA Network is the additional hour that NXT will have. While many enjoyed the quick one-hour format, it did limit things such as how many superstars appear each week, what they can do, and match times, et cetera. With an extra hour, more performers will get time to showcase their talents, matches will go on for longer, and storylines will be fleshed out more.

So, while NXT moving to the USA Network is a big risk as the network will have a say in the workings of the promotion - not to mention that Vince McMahon is likely to have considerably more control on NXT - there are plenty of reasons for hope. The one constant that will remain is the roster of talented superstars who will showcase their skills on a bigger platform now, courtesy of this change. It will be interesting to see ho well NXT does.