FOX Reportedly Wants Less Comedy, More Sports-Focused Show for SmackDown

As noted before, WWE agreed to a five year deal with FOX to become the new home for SmackDown starting in October 2019. As part of the deal, FOX is reported to be working on plans to use their existing sports programs to help promote SmackDown with the goal of making the show more interesting to their current sports viewer base.

FOX network executives reportedly want the show to feature less comedy and shift into a more wrestling and sports oriented direction when it officially moves to their network late next year, Dave Meltzer reported in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. While Vince McMahon favors more of a comedy presentation, FOX wants a more sports-focused presentation due to their plans to cross-promote SmackDown with their other sports programs and because FOX will be doing a Thursday through Sunday sports block starting in 2019, which SmackDown will be a part of.