BT Sport and WWE announce new multi-year TV deal

[Rated [R] NinJa]

BT Sport is proud to announce an exclusive new partnership with WWE.

The multi-year agreement will make WWE’s weekly flagship programming available exclusively on BT Sport in the U.K. and Ireland from 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, further increase reach, and drive engagement for UK and Irish fans.

BT's Managing Director of Content and Strategy, Andy Haworth said:“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."

Stefan Kastenmüller, WWE Senior Vice President & Group General Manager, echoed Haworth's excitement about the partnership.

He said: “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."

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.

sport.bt.com/news/bt-sport-and-wwe-announce-exclusive-new-tv-partnership-in-multi-year-deal-S11364370135846


Welp, I guess I can change my excuse for not wanting to watch RAW and SmackDown to actually not being able to anymore 🤦🏽‍♂️

[GBGav]

I don't have Sky Sports, but do have BT. I just hope that WWE will have a show worth watching by January.

[Controversial Maverick PUNK]

Sky customers have to pay extra for BT sports.

[SteveHulk]

Interesting that WWE's long partnership with Sky has come to an end... I wonder if viewing figures have declined or BT just offered more for the rights? I already have BT Sport for the UFC though, so am pretty pleased with this deal... I'll probably cancel Sky Sports at the end of the year.

[hbkjason]

This is crazy! I have actually been watching WWE/F on Sky Sports since 1989. The first setup we had, we did not even have a remote, the actual Sky Box had 16 (I think) buttons on it that you had to actually manually press. Back then the PPV's also used to be on Sky Movies as there was no Sky Sports if I remember right I think SummerSlam 92 might have been the first one on Sky Sports after it launched. I had been watching WWF on Sky since the beginning so after 30 years it is nuts that they are no longer working together.

Overall, Sky has gotten greedier and greedier over the last decade the prices they charge are just insane!

[hellojoeivers]

You know I always do my best not to be negative, especially when I myself wouldn't know the first thing about the inner workings of the wrestling biz. But since I returned to watching about 7 years ago, this has been the worst period I can remember creatively speaking. It's not been good, and the fact that less and less people are watching every week speaks volumes...

In the middle of this downward spiral, they're now hoping that people will either go to the effort of restructuring or adding to their monthly subscriptions (I'm hearing it's £40 a month?). I've gotta say, some months paying that £9.99 for the Network feels begrudging. I feel like the Fox deal will give them incentive to give Smackdown a new lease of life and get it back to that 2016 peak (how long it'll last is another question), but man they better work at making these weekly shows better over the next 6 months, because frankly, the way things are right now, I don't see people flocking!

[@brit_figs]

I'm on Virgin and have the basic package.

But could be tempted to get BT in Jan.

[Deleted]

I can see viewership furtherly decreasing.

[wayneyb]

Jun 21, 2019 4:31:01 GMT -5 @paigelover said:

I can see viewership furtherly decreasing.

Ratings will decrease no doubt. BT Sports has less eyeballs on it than Sky Sports

Ratings for Champions League games declined drastically when BT Sports took over the broadcasting rights from Sky, and football is far more popular than wrestling in the UK. People just arent willing to pay for the extra subscription

Hardcore WWE fans will pay for the Network anyway - it will be a lot of casuals that are lost - myself included.

Unless the product improves there is no way I will pay extra to watch current WWE programming. I recently cancelled the Network after Wrestlemania and watch highlights on Youtube/facebook and that that is far more preferable than sitting through 3 hours of Raw these days, well 90 mins and 90 mins of commercials and recaps!!!

[adecw]

I will just catch it streamed online no way im adding bt to my package

[SteveHulk]

Jun 21, 2019 3:57:27 GMT -5 hellojoeivers said:

You know I always do my best not to be negative, especially when I myself wouldn't know the first thing about the inner workings of the wrestling biz. But since I returned to watching about 7 years ago, this has been the worst period I can remember creatively speaking. It's not been good, and the fact that less and less people are watching every week speaks volumes...

In the middle of this downward spiral, they're now hoping that people will either go to the effort of restructuring or adding to their monthly subscriptions (I'm hearing it's £40 a month?). I've gotta say, some months paying that £9.99 for the Network feels begrudging. I feel like the Fox deal will give them incentive to give Smackdown a new lease of life and get it back to that 2016 peak (how long it'll last is another question), but man they better work at making these weekly shows better over the next 6 months, because frankly, the way things are right now, I don't see people flocking!

Totally agree... I've been watching since the late 80's (...yes, I'm that old...) and I think the current product is the weakest it's ever been. I mean, just look at this weekend's PPV: Rollins V Corbin and Kofi V Dolph as the two main title matches!? WWE are putting out hours and hours of TV, marathon Wrestlemanias, plus all these extra shows and PPVs - but with such a stale product, it's getting to the point of over-saturation. Sometimes less is more.

Jun 21, 2019 13:54:54 GMT -5 wayneyb said:

Unless the product improves there is no way I will pay extra to watch current WWE programming. I recently cancelled the Network after Wrestlemania and watch highlights on Youtube/facebook and that that is far more preferable than sitting through 3 hours of Raw these days, well 90 mins and 90 mins of commercials and recaps!!!

Yeah, I have Sky Sports - and still often just watch the YouTube clips... 30-40 minutes worth of clips is a lot quicker/easier than sitting through 3 hours of RAW these days.

[Scott!]

I don't watch weekly, I only watch the PPV's on the network. The show hasn't been great for a few years in my opinion and anything I want to see they upload to YouTube anyway. I have Sky & BT for the football but I've been looking for an excuse to get rid of one. BT will stay because of the Champions League and Scottish Football, and hopefully I'll get back into Raw & Smackdown and give it another chance. I think it's a good move for WWE, BT will take over sky sports in a few years and after they lost the Spanish football there's hardly anything (for me) worthwhile watching on it.

[travisT]

I hope so better than sky