WWE NXT Heading To The CW Network Fall 2024

WWE and TKO Group Holdings announced that NXT signed a new TV Deal with the CW Network starting in October 2024. According to the press release, it is a five-year deal and it will mark the first time in its 13-year history that WWE NXT will air on a broadcast television network. WWE NXT will debut on The CW Network in October 2024 and air 52 live weekly events throughout the season.

Recall, a month ago, it was announced that Smackdown signed a five-year deal with USA Network. Raw is the remaining show that needs a new television deal.

Ari Emanuel said during Tuesday’s TKO conference call that NXT’s deal with The CW represents a 70 percent increase in average annual value over the previous deal.

We are thrilled to welcome the WWE brand into the CW Sports portfolio as they play an integral role in our mission to bring live sporting events to the network year-round,” said Dennis Miller, President, The CW Network. “WWE NXT is a perfect fit for The CW thanks to its dynamic young talent featuring the hottest rising stars in the sport and exhilarating, unpredictable weekly events. The passion and engagement of WWE’s fanbase is unmatched, and we are eager to grow that audience as WWE NXT’s new home on broadcast television.”

“The CW has made impressive moves over the past year with its live sports programming schedule,” said Nick Khan, WWE President. “It’s a truly exciting opportunity to expand NXT’s audience by bringing the show to broadcast television for the first time in NXT’s history.”

NXT was started in 2012 by current head of creative Paul “Triple H” Levesque and was airing weekly on the WWE Network before it moved to USA Network during the Wednesday Night Wars with AEW Dynamite. Since 2012 NXT has featured some of the brightest young talents in sports entertainment. From 2014-2020, NXT was the best brand in WWE. However, there were some inside WWE that did not want to hear that. NXT was not a third brand, they were “The Brand.”

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According to WWE, nearly 90% of the participants in last year’s WrestleMania were developed under the NXT banner. Led by WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels, NXT is popular with younger audiences, ranking No. 1 in cable primetime on Tuesday nights last quarter among adults 18-49 and 18-34. Year to date, NXT’s average viewership is up 30% among adults 18-49. WWE Superstars, such as Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch, have come up through NXT. Along with the hottest rising superstar in WWE, LA Knight.

In addition, The CW Network has a growing roster of live sports which includes ACC Football and basketball on Saturday. Not to mention LIV Golf.  The CW is also the new home of the Emmy-award-winning weekly studio series “Inside the NFL” and will broadcast the NASCAR Xfinity Series beginning in 2025. The network will soon offer more than 500 hours of sports programming year-round.

The question will be going forward, what day will NXT be on and what day Smackdown will be on and same goes for Raw.