UPDATED: Smackdown Confirmed to Air Time-Shifted in Pacific and Mountain Time Zones

UPDATE: The Wrap has more details on FOX’s plan to air Smackdown on a time-shifted tape delay for the west coast. The site confirms the previous report by the WON that the network plans to air the show live for Eastern and Central time zones at 8 PM ET and 7 PM CT, then will air tape-delayed on the west coast at 8 PM PT (11 PM ET). Mountain Time will meet a middle ground with a one-hour tape delay at 7 PM MT (9 PM ET).

FOX believes that it the tape-delayed format is “cleaner” way to air the show. The good news for west coast fans is that you will be able to live-stream the show via FoxSports.com and the FOX Sports app, with authentication. The episodes will be available on demand on the Fox Sports app for 30 days, presumably going to the WWE Network after that.

ORIGINAL: The Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that TV listings for KTVU in San Francisco and FOX 11 in Los Angeles for October list Smackdown from 8-10 PM, not live from 5-7 PM. This means that ratings will be higher, as it will be airing during prime time hours. It also won’t preempt the local news. The usual FOX strategy with sports is to air it live, as it does with NFL, UFC and other sports, but it seems it will be taking a different approach to WWE. FOX had been categorizing it as sports, but local stations may not be happy preempting local news for wrestling, which could be why it won’t air live.