SBJ Makes Prediction On How WWE’s TV Rights Deals Will Go Next Year

John Ourand of Sports Business Journal recently mentioned WWE in a list of sports media business predictions for this coming year. Ourand referenced the fact that WWE’s television agreements are set to expire after 2024, and stated that “it will start to negotiate new deals in April, right around when ‘WrestleMania’ is in L.A.” According to Ourand, a new agreement is likely to manifest wherein NBCU will maintain NXT and Raw’s position in the USA lineup of broadcasts, but also hypothesizes a move from Fox to an NBC channel for SmackDown.

Ourand believes the negotiations don’t stop there, however. “The real significance of this deal comes in two years,” he says, when “the two negotiate their Peacock deal.” If they come to pass, the deals negotiated for both Raw and SmackDown could set a foundation for NBCU to outright purchase WWE in entirety. Time will tell.