WWE TV Moving to BT Sport in the UK and Ireland

WWE officially announced that they’re moving Raw and SmackDown to BT Sport in the UK and Ireland starting in January 2020, ending their deal with Sky Sports, where they have aired for the past 30 years.

Raw and SmackDown will air live every week on BT Sport and will also air in prime time the following day (Tuesdays for Raw and Saturdays for SmackDown). PPVs will be available on BT Sport Box Office.

The deal means that WWE will be available in far fewer homes in the UK and Ireland. Their current and soon to be former TV home, Sky Sports is in 8.56 million homes, while BT Sport is in 2.19 million homes, according to Dave Meltzer.

There are no details about the length of the deal or the financials as of now other than it’s a “multi-year partnership.”

Here’s a press release:

WWE AND BT SPORT ANNOUNCE NEW PARTNERSHIP

LONDON, ENGLAND, June 20, 2019 – WWE® (NYSE: WWE) and BT Sport today announced a new multi-year exclusive pay TV agreement that will make WWE’s weekly flagship programming available live in the U.K. and Ireland on BT Sport beginning January 2020.

BT Sport will air both Raw and SmackDown exclusively live every week, delivering edge-of-your-seat action and showcasing the world-class athleticism from global Superstars including Roman Reigns, Becky Lynch, Seth Rollins, Kofi Kingston and Charlotte Flair. WWE and BT Sport will also partner across digital and social media platforms to create new content for fans that will increase reach for WWE and drive engagement across the UK and Ireland.

“We are incredibly excited by our new partnership with WWE. It is the most successful sports entertainment brand in the world, with a rich, fun and colorful history, loved by fans across the UK and Ireland. This is a brilliant addition for our customers and we can’t wait to get going in January,” said Andy Haworth, Managing Director Content and Strategy, BT Consumer.

“We are pleased to begin an exciting new chapter for WWE in the region as we join BT Sport’s innovative offering and impressive portfolio of premium sports content,” said Stefan Kastenmüller, WWE Senior Vice President & Group General Manager, EMEA.

WWE’s monthly pay-per-view events, including WrestleMania®, will be available on BT Sport Box Office. BT Sport will also carry same day primetime re-airs of Raw on Tuesdays and SmackDown on Saturdays, a two-hour version of Raw, one-hour version of Raw and one-hour version of SmackDown across its portfolio of channels.

BT Sport is home to the Premier League, UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League, Gallagher Premiership Rugby, MotoGP and UFC.