The professional wrestling world is tightly intertwined with the tv panorama. With any altering of fingers in the case of possession, that at all times brings consideration.
The long-running relationship between NBC and USA Community formally got here to an finish right this moment as Versant launched on NASDAQ. This finalized the breakup of NBCUniversal’s cable portfolio. With that transfer, USA Community is not owned by NBC, and that closed a chapter that lasted greater than twenty years.
The information carries further weight as a result of USA Community has been intently tied to WWE for many of its fashionable tv historical past. WWE RAW debuted on USA in 1993 and helped outline each the present and the community in the course of the Nineties. Even after RAW briefly left in 2000, the model returned to USA in 2005 and remained there for practically twenty years.
USA Community additionally turned house to WWE SmackDown throughout a number of stretches, most notably from 2016 to 2019, and later welcomed SmackDown again in 2024. As well as, NXT aired reside on USA starting in 2019, giving the community three main WWE properties at numerous factors. That lengthy partnership made USA one of the crucial recognizable locations for wrestling on cable tv.
NBC and USA had shared company possession since 2004, when NBCUniversal consolidated its broadcast and cable property beneath one umbrella. Over these 21 years, the 2 manufacturers turned intently linked, particularly throughout eras when Uncooked was a centerpiece of USA’s primetime lineup. Immediately’s break up formally ends that association.
Versant now controls a variety of former NBCUniversal cable and media property. That record contains USA Community, CNBC, Golf Channel, Oxygen, E!, Syfy, together with digital and movie manufacturers like Fandango and Rotten Tomatoes. The separation marks a serious shift in how NBCUniversal’s former cable properties are structured and managed.
Whereas WWE’s present media future now stretches throughout a number of platforms, together with streaming, right this moment’s change nonetheless marks the top of a well-known period. USA Community getting into a brand new part beneath Versant could not change SmackDown’s present house, however it might change issues as soon as the contract comes up.
What’s your tackle USA Community ending up in several fingers? Do you suppose that SmackDown will final on there for for much longer? Tell us what you suppose within the feedback part!