Since SmackDown will be part of the Fox sports block every Thursday to Sunday in the fall, the network reportedly wants WWE to be promoted as a legitimate sport that is a choreographed sports presentation, although the outcomes of the matches are predetermined. SmackDown will air 51 weeks per year on Fox, and will be preempted for the World Series. It’s possible that SmackDown airs on FS1 for that one week.
Fox will also air a one-hour launch show in late September to build to the live Friday night debut on October 4 from the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The idea is that the one-hour special will introduce WWE and the Superstars to the Fox audience. WWE and Fox are planning a major promotion that will see WWE Superstars take a moving truck to various sized markets to promote the network change. A digital primer is also being planned, which will allow viewers to get a behind-the-scenes look at the WWE product. This primer will teach viewers some of the insider terms, according to the Observer.
Fox is also in talks to bring the NXT brand to TV. There’s been speculation on NXT airing on FS1, head-to-head with AEW’s weekly TNT show, but that has not been confirmed. As previously reported, FS1 will also air a weekly WWE studio show on Tuesdays with Renee Young as the host.
It’s believed that the SmackDown 20th Anniversary special will air as the premiere episode on Fox, on October 4. WWE will begin promoting that special in mid-September. It was noted at the summit that there will be a lot of surprises on that show.
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