Kemo
11-05-2023, 10:43 PM
An inability to hit the expected advertising numbers led to FOX's relationship with WWE breaking down, FOX CEO Lachlan Murdoch has shared.
Next year, WWE SmackDown will leave FOX, four years after debuting for the network in 2019. There had been signs for some time that WWE's relationship with FOX was strained, with SmackDown not being mentioned in a press release earlier this year promoting their 2024 schedule.
Speaking during the Q1 2024 FOX Earnings Conference Call, Lachlan Murdoch, the son of FOX mogul Rupert Murdoch, explained why SmackDown and FOX are parting ways.
"We were not hitting the advertising numbers due to the audience of the WWE to make...to return for our return on investment to be above the levels that we would accept. But also, we didn’t attribute enough significant retransmission revenue to the WWE either."
SmackDown may have not hit the advertising numbers FOX expected of them, but the blue brand's ad space has proven to be very valuable. In a recent report, it was revealed that the price to advertise during SmackDown had risen, while other shows had seen a dramatic fall in their ad space value.
SmackDown's departure from FOX programming will see the show return to the USA Network, which hosted the blue brand from 2016 to 2019. The $1.4 billion deal with NBCUniversal will also see quarterly primetime specials that will air on NBC. WWE CEO Nick Khan said at the time that NBCUniversal had been a "tremendous partner" of WWE for decades and he was looking forward to the special events. The USA Network is currently home to WWE NXT and WWE Monday Night Raw.
Next year, WWE SmackDown will leave FOX, four years after debuting for the network in 2019. There had been signs for some time that WWE's relationship with FOX was strained, with SmackDown not being mentioned in a press release earlier this year promoting their 2024 schedule.
Speaking during the Q1 2024 FOX Earnings Conference Call, Lachlan Murdoch, the son of FOX mogul Rupert Murdoch, explained why SmackDown and FOX are parting ways.
"We were not hitting the advertising numbers due to the audience of the WWE to make...to return for our return on investment to be above the levels that we would accept. But also, we didn’t attribute enough significant retransmission revenue to the WWE either."
SmackDown may have not hit the advertising numbers FOX expected of them, but the blue brand's ad space has proven to be very valuable. In a recent report, it was revealed that the price to advertise during SmackDown had risen, while other shows had seen a dramatic fall in their ad space value.
SmackDown's departure from FOX programming will see the show return to the USA Network, which hosted the blue brand from 2016 to 2019. The $1.4 billion deal with NBCUniversal will also see quarterly primetime specials that will air on NBC. WWE CEO Nick Khan said at the time that NBCUniversal had been a "tremendous partner" of WWE for decades and he was looking forward to the special events. The USA Network is currently home to WWE NXT and WWE Monday Night Raw.