Backstage news detailing WWE and FOX having high-level meetings - Reports
According to the latest reports, WWE has held some high-level meetings with FOX over the past few months.
WWE made headlines over two years ago when they announced they had struck a deal with the broadcast network FOX to bring SmackDown over from the USA Network. The deal was worth over $1 billion over five years, and on October 4th 2019, SmackDown would debut.
On Friday, Fightful Select posted a lengthy report that detailed some disappointment by FOX on its viewership of SmackDown. However, it also stated that the relationship between the two parties is not as strained, contrary to earlier reports in the year.
FOX had higher expectations in regards to the viewership that SmackDown was getting. However, WWE had some uncharted waters when it came to the pandemic, and FOX understood.
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While 2020 was impossible to predict, FOX and WWE realized that SmackDown is the most-watched pro wrestling television show in the United States, and viewership does not tell the whole story.
The Fightful Select report also shot down another report that FOX wasn't "over the moon" at having to promote another company's streaming service, Peacock, for WWE pay-per-views. Sources with both companies stated that there is no issue.
WWE had a lengthy high-level meeting with FOX executives recently
WWE and FOX executives have had several high-level meetings in the past few months, including a four-hour meeting with Vince McMahon, Nick Khan, FOX Sports CEO Eric Shanks, and FOX head of production Brad Zager.
The dinner took place in Las Vegas at the Wynn and was said to be a productive meeting.
WWE has recently made several moves to appease and improve the relationship with FOX, including having their return to Los Angeles (headquarters of FOX) be on SmackDown instead of Monday Night RAW as initially planned. This edition of SmackDown is set for December 10th this year.
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