http://variety.com/2018/digital/news/wwes-new-raw-deal-propels-stock-sets-stage-for-smackdown-move-1202814297/
>World Wrestling Entertainment stock skyrocketed 15.4% on Thursday on reports the company is closing in on an eye-popping new deal with NBC Universal for the rights to air “Monday Night Raw” on the USA Network for three times what it currently gets.
>Analysts are projecting the new deal to be worth well north of $400 million a year. It’ll also be too rich for NBCU to maintain a monopoly on WWE’s linear business; the conglomerate elected not to renew a deal for a second program, “SmackDown Live,” which has aired on USA since 2016. WWE is now free to shop those rights around to a host of parties said to be kicking the tires.
>Frontrunning contenders for “SmackDown” rights include Fox, Facebook and Amazon. With the recent news that Fox will be sharing Ultimate Fighting Championship rights with ESPN, a few holes could open up in its scheduling that would present a great fit for WWE’s programming.
>“We think ‘SmackDown’ is due for a big raise as well, and likely still viewed as a bargain for several players reportedly interested,” said Eric Katz, senior analyst for Wells Fargo.
>“SmackDown” has often been viewed as the “B” show in WWE’s arsenal, but ever since moving to a live format similar to that of “Raw,” and on the backs of fan-favorite superstars like Daniel Bryan, A.J. Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura, it has grown in popularity.
>Always lurking is the possibility for WWE to finally move “SmackDown” to its own WWE Network. On April 9, the day after WrestleMania 34, the company announced that its streaming service had reached a record 2.12 million total subscribers. But when WWE chief branding officer Stephanie McMahon spoke to Variety in January, she stressed the importance of linear distribution for the company at this stage.
>One option open to “SmackDown” is moving from a two- to three-hour format akin to “Raw.” That would obviously inflate the show’s advertising potential, which might even be an enticing lure for suitors. The smaller two-hour bite is more appealing to fans, but a deeper breath would allow the brand to broaden its storytelling spotlight to include some of its underutilized talents. (This always appears to be in flux, however. For instance, when Fox was circling the “Raw” rights package, there was speculation that the program would drop to two hours to account for 10pm local newscasts on Fox stations.)
>Wherever “SmackDown” ultimately lands, WWE is obviously moving into this period with more leverage than ever.
>WWE stock closed at $50.31, a record high
