Randy Orton RKO's surprising name on past SmackDown, NXT vs. RAW - 3 shows coming to WWE Network and Peacock this weekend
WWE is having a slow week in terms of programming due to the holidays. Monday, for example, was a special "best of" edition of RAW. SmackDown on Friday looks to be the same. Unfortunately, this carried over into streaming content, as very little has arrived.
Monday featured no new programming at all, thanks to RAW being a special episode. This meant RAW Talk didn't air. On the other hand, Tuesday was standard, with the prior week's episode of NXT arriving on-demand for fans in some regions.
Wednesday is typically the busiest weekday in terms of new programming, but this time around was mostly barren. A month-old episode of RAW was added to the archives, but The Bump had the week off. Lastly, This Week In WWE arrived on Thursday, looking back at an incredible 2023.
Only three full-length programs are confirmed to arrive on-demand this weekend. This includes a special "best of" program along with two in-ring shows that aired elsewhere. There's a chance other content arrives, but for now, nothing else is being advertised. What is set to arrive on demand?
Below are three shows coming to WWE Network and Peacock this weekend.
#3. A past episode of Friday Night SmackDown will become available
WWE Friday Night SmackDown from December 1, 2023, will be added to the WWE Network and Peacock archives this weekend. More specifically, this episode of the blue brand will arrive on-demand on Sunday, December 31. As a reminder, SmackDown and RAW have a 30-day delay from airing to arriving on-demand due to network obligations.
This was a big episode of SmackDown, as it came after a historic Friday Night SmackDown. This show saw the blue brand return of Randy Orton, with The Viper negotiating with both Adam Pearce and Nick Aldis to determine which brand he'd sign with.
In the end, The Viper ultimately chose to sign with the blue brand with the promise of getting his hands on The Bloodline. He hit Jimmy Uso with an RKO but then shocked the world by hitting another one, this time on General Manager Nick Aldis. The Legend Killer was back and made an immediate statement.
#2. WWE Main Event will be added on-demand
A recent episode of WWE Main Event will be added to the archives. For those unaware, the RAW b-show is taped before the red brand each week and is aired on Hulu and internationally a few days later. There is around a two-week delay before it arrives on-demand for Peacock and WWE Network users, however.
While Main Event is presented by Monday Night RAW, a common theme of the show is for stars from the red brand to compete against NXT talent. This edition from December 14, 2023, which will be added on December 30, will feature one RAW vs. NXT match and one contest featuring all NXT stars.
The opening match of the show featured RAW's Natalya battling the talented Elektra Lopez. The main event featured NXT's Edris Enofe battling Von Wagner. Technically, Wagner is a free agent, but he has yet to make any other brand besides NXT his true home.
#1. NXT Level Up will air on Friday
A new episode of NXT Level Up will stream this weekend. More specifically, WWE Network and Peacock will air the new episode at 10 PM EST on Friday, December 29, immediately following SmackDown on FOX.
As a weekly reminder, this video will not be available on-demand after initially streaming for up to two weeks on Peacock due to contractual obligations.
This week won't be a standard episode of the popular WWE show. Instead, NXT Level Up will be a special "best of" program featuring four big matches held throughout the year. The main match being advertised featured Riley Osborne clashing with Axiom back in October.
Lash Legend and Jakara Jackson, prior to joining Meta-Four, versus the duo of Dani Palmer and Sol Ruca is also featured. The card also includes Tavion Heights vs. Nathan Frazer and the popular Jacy Jayne vs. Karmen Petrovic. Once again, each match is from earlier in 2023.