WWE SmackDown Returns to USA Network with Title Match, Signaling Major Media Rights Shifts

WWE SmackDown is returning to the USA Network after a five-year stint on Fox. The show’s comeback will kick off with a major title match, featuring Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes defending his title against Solo Sikoa in a steel cage. This high-stakes match will open the show, rather than serving as the main event, leaving fans curious about what else is in store for the evening.

The return of SmackDown to USA Network marks the beginning of significant changes in WWE’s media rights. While USA Network gains SmackDown, it will soon lose WWE NXT to The CW and WWE Raw to Netflix. Raw will also undergo a format change, shortening to two hours starting in October until its Netflix debut in 2025. These shifts represent a complex reshuffling of WWE programming across different networks and streaming platforms.

Tomorrow night, LIVE from Seattle, @CodyRhodes vs. Solo Sikoa in a Steel Cage for the Undisputed WWE Championship will kick off #SmackDown‘s monumental return to @USANetwork at 8/7c.

As for the rest of the show… you’ll just have to wait and see. pic.twitter.com/l32zCEvdwc

— Triple H (@TripleH) September 12, 2024

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