In a major development for sports entertainment, The CW has announced a five-year deal to become the official broadcast home of WWE NXT. Starting in October 2024, NXT will move from USA Network to The CW, marking a significant shift in the showcase for WWE's up-and-coming wrestling stars.

Under the agreement, The CW will air 52 live weekly events throughout the season, adding NXT to its growing lineup of live sports coverage. The network already broadcasts ACC football and basketball games on Saturdays, as well as LIV Golf. The CW is also set to feature weekly studio series Inside the NFL and will begin broadcasting the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2025. With this new deal, the network plans to offer more than 500 hours of sports programming.

NXT, which is part of TKO Group—a public company housing both WWE and UFC and majority-owned by Endeavor—has seen its broadcast rights undergo a series of renewals. Previously, it was announced that WWE and NBCUniversal had agreed to a domestic media rights deal, bringing Friday Night SmackDown to USA Network from its current home on Fox. This lucrative deal, valued at $200 million, will begin in October 2024. However, the future of Raw, WWE's flagship property airing on Mondays, remains uncertain as its current deal is set to expire.

Although financial details of The CW's NXT deal were not disclosed, industry sources suggest that it exceeds the current contract's price tag of $15 million per year. The network president, Dennis Miller, expressed enthusiasm for the addition of the WWE brand to their sports portfolio, emphasizing NXT's appeal with its young and dynamic talent. Miller added that the passionate WWE fanbase and the exhilarating nature of the weekly events make the partnership a perfect fit.

WWE president Nick Khan commended The CW's growing sports programming schedule and highlighted the opportunity to expand NXT's audience by bringing the show to broadcast television for the first time in its history. Khan referred to The CW's leadership, ownership, and widespread network coverage as contributing factors in the decision to move NXT.

NXT, spearheaded by WWE chief content officer Paul "Triple H" Levesque, has been on the air since 2012 and serves as a platform for developing the next generation of wrestling superstars. Nearly 90% of last year's WrestleMania participants emerged from the NXT ranks, attesting to the program's success in nurturing talent. Led by WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels, NXT resonates particularly well with younger audiences, holding the top spot in cable primetime on Tuesday nights among adults aged 18-49 and 18-34. So far this year, NXT has witnessed a 30% increase in average viewership among adults aged 18-49.

As TKO Group reports its first quarterly earnings later today and Endeavor prepares to release its financial results on Wednesday morning, this significant move to The CW provides a fresh avenue for WWE to showcase its rising stars. With the power-packed combination of WWE's talent pool and The CW's expanding sports programming, fans can look forward to an exhilarating and unpredictable wrestling experience on broadcast television.