The rumors are true. WWE NXT will be leaving its home on the WWE Network and head to the USA Network. This is after reports earlier this month stated that Fox Sports 1 could be NXT’s new home.
BREAKING: Starting Sept. 18, @WWENXT will air LIVE as a two-hour weekly show every Wednesday on @USA_Network! https://t.co/Jk2crhv0Nx
— WWE (@WWE) August 20, 2019
The plan is to extend the duration of the show to two hours and film the show live from its current Full Sail home. It will be shown on Wednesday nights in the 8 PM ET -10 PM ET slot, right against the debuting AEW TV show on TNT on Wednesday, October 2.
Dave Meltzer, speaking on Wrestling Observer Radio, confirmed that the news will be officially announced during tonight’s episode of RAW:
“Triple H was talking to people and dropping hints while saying, ‘I want to tell you, but I can’t tell you. But watch TV on Monday.”
“I was told why he (Vince McMahon) wanted to go to USA — it’s not a money thing. It’s because he has a better shot at not losing. He doesn’t wanna lose that battle, but the feeling is that like it’s better because wrestling fans are used to the USA Network, they’re not used to FS1 — UFC fans are used to FS1, but it’s not a station that they’re familiar with and this and that and in theory you would think that should only matter for two or three weeks, it actually does mean a significant amount.”
USA Network has been much more involved in the negotiations, with many senior WWE officials have been saying it’s been a done deal for a few weeks now.
Meltzer also said that Vince McMahon, as expected, would be very much hands-on with the NXT show, now it is on the USA Network. The fact that it’s going head to head with AEW can be seen as the first shot of a new wrestling war. Something Vince wants to have complete control over.
