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WWE is extremely happy about the announced deal with the CW Network today. it was noted during the TKO Group Holdings call that it was a 70% increase in rights fees. One broadcast source PWInsider.com spoke with last week believed the deal was worth "in the area" of $35-$37 million a year. PWInsider.com has not been able to confirm that number but internally, the belief is WWE were getting $15 million a year from NBC Universal for the NXT series.
Internally, this is also being seen as a major opportunity to expose younger talents to fresh eyes and viewers with the hope that they can build new names and the NXT brand as something more self-standing so it has more balance along the lines of how Raw and Smackdown are viewed.
The plan is for the show to be live weekly, but if needed from time to time, they can always tape.
Currently, NXT will still be on Tuesday nights but we are told that WWE is "always open to conversations" if the network needs.
The belief today is the series will still tape out of the Performance Center, but internally, WWE would be open to running tapings elsewhere or even touring if the "financials made sense" but as one source said today, "We aren't there yet."
There were no conversations, that we were aware, about WWE PPV specials on the CW Network outside of "special episodes" like a Halloween Havoc. The belief is that special events will continue going forward on the WWE Network, PPV systems, Peacock, etc.
We've been asked about other companies that spoke with CW. We can confirm that there were lengthy discussions with Dave Marquez's United Wrestling Network to the point that potential strategies were being rolled out but then WWE came into the picture in a strong way 4-6 weeks ago. WWE conversations were likely going on even before that period. We are told that the idea for the Marquez project was to do a weekly live series out of Los Angeles. There's no word whether that series concept will be shopped elsewhere but Marquez has always been a hustler, so I'd be shocked if he doesn't revisit his plans down the line.
There have been rumors making the rounds about a potential NWA series airing on the CW as well in recent weeks, but no one from the NWA or CW has, at any point, confirmed even privately to PWInsider.com that there was anything concrete to those stories, which is why we've never previously reported on it. Those within the NWA circles were sharing with those in the company this evening that the WWE deal had zero bearing on any NWA conversations with CW. The general consensus of those working around the NWA was that there was a 12-episode reality series built around Billy Corgan running the NWA that was pitched to the CW Network as well as the potential of the NWA Powerrr series being streamed on the CW App on the table. Again, no one has told PWInsider.com that is accurate - just that today, those in the company were told there were conversations between the two sides that were not dead.
Despite the fact that CW President of Entertainment Brad Schwartz ran POP when it featured Impact Wrestling, there's been no sign that TNA/Impact were ever in discussions with CW.
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