World Wrestling Entertainment Inc.'s weekly series "NXT" is moving from streaming platform WWE Network to USA Network Inc. beginning Sept. 18.
The new two-hour weekly show will stay in the same Wednesday 8 p.m. time slot it has held since 2015, the company said Aug. 20.
The deal not only boosts exposure for the show ahead of USA losing WWE's "Smackdown Live" franchise to FOX (US), beginning Oct. 4, it could also deflate the launch of TNT (US)'s All Elite Wrestling, which is scheduled to begin its Wednesday night run on the cable network Oct. 2.
All Elite Wrestling will hold its second pay-per-view event, "All Out," on Aug. 31 — nearly a year to the day after its "All In" competition, which led to the formation of the promotion. AT&T Inc.'s WarnerMedia announced that TNT would present a weekly wrestling show during its upfront presentation in May. During the upfront, programmers sell linear and digital schedules to advertisers ahead of the upcoming TV season.
"The move to USA Network provides an opportunity to deepen our relationship with NBCUniversal LLC and further build the NXT brand," WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon said in a statement. "Over the long term, our goal is to develop a following that can be monetized to the same level as our flagship programs, 'Raw' and 'SmackDown.'"
Launched in 2010, the NXT brand features WWE stars such as Adam Cole, Velveteen Dream, Shayna Baszler and more.
