The CW expands WWE deal, adds 20 NXT Premium Live Events

TL;DR

The CW has expanded its deal with WWE to include 20 NXT Premium Live Events over the next several years. This follows the network's initial agreement to broadcast NXT starting in October 2024.

Key points

The CW expands WWE deal to include 20 NXT Premium Live Events.
The agreement spans several years.
NXT is WWE's developmental circuit.
The CW started broadcasting NXT in October 2024.
Netflix was previously considered a front-runner for these events.

Mentioned in this story

The CWWWE

NXT

Corey Graves made his return to 'WWE NXT' on Tuesday, one week after publicly expressing frustration about his demotion to the brand.

Credit: The CW

The CW is continuing to embrace the wrestling business.

On Tuesday, the network announced an expansion of its current deal with WWE that will see 20 NXT Premium Live Events (PLEs) to The CW over the next several years. NXT is WWE’s developmental circuit, which The CW began broadcasting in October 2024 under a five-year agreement.

Prior reports indicated that Netflix was seen as the front-runner to land these events.

Per the announcement, the first NXT PLE to air on The CW will be The Great American Bash later this summer. The deal will also include Stand and Deliver, Deadline, and Vengeance Day.

Prior to Tuesday’s deal, NXT PLEs streamed live on YouTube. Before that, the events were exclusive to Peacock as part of WWE’s previous media rights deal with the streamer.

“WWE NXT has energized our Tuesday nights by consistently delivering a loyal and passionate fanbase to The CW every week,” The CW president Brad Schwartz said in the announcement. “Adding WWE NXT Premium Live Events to our schedule is a natural fit, providing one broadcast destination for audiences to watch all their favorite Superstars, storylines and championship matches.”

“The CW has played an integral role in raising the profile of our up-and-coming Superstars, and we are excited to bring NXT’s Premium Live Events to broadcast television for the first time ever,” WWE senior vice president of talent development Shawn Michaels added.

WWE NXT has proven one of The CW’s most successful forays into live sports and entertainment programming since the network began experimenting with the genre by airing LIV Golf in 2023. Since then, The CW has added ACC and Pac-12 football, NASCAR’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, PBA, and more.

Q&A

What are NXT Premium Live Events and when will they air on The CW?

NXT Premium Live Events are special wrestling events from WWE's developmental brand, and they will air on The CW over the next several years as part of the expanded deal.

Why did The CW choose to expand its WWE deal instead of partnering with Netflix?

The CW likely saw an opportunity to strengthen its programming lineup with wrestling content, especially after previous reports indicated Netflix was a potential front-runner for these events.

When did The CW start broadcasting WWE NXT?

The CW began broadcasting WWE NXT in October 2024 under a five-year agreement.