Sky Sports to broadcast five live hours of WWE each week
Friday 27 May 2016 09:29, UK
WWE Smackdown will be shown live every week on Sky Sports when the show moves to its new Tuesday slot from July 19.
Smackdown will be broadcast every week at 1am, meaning Sky Sports will show five live hours of WWE programming a week, including the three-hour editions of Raw every Monday night at 1am, with each show featuring its own unique rosters and rivalries following an imminent Superstar draft.
"We are delighted that WWE, one of our longest standing partners, will be broadcasting Smackdown live and Sky Sports will be broadcasting this, across our platforms and services, to our customers live on a Tuesday night," said Barney Francis, Managing Director, Sky Sports.
"Alongside live coverage of RAW on Mondays, this further strengthens Sky Sports as the home of WWE in the UK and Ireland. Viewers will also be able to keep up with WWE content via multiple repeat broadcasts and across catch up services."
"WWE's flagship programs will both leverage the incredible depth of our talent roster, distinct storylines and the unpredictable nature of live TV," said WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon.
"This move will undoubtedly build more excitement and deepen engagement with our fans around the world."
"We are delighted that WWE, one of our longest standing partners, will be broadcasting Smackdown live and Sky Sports will be broadcasting this, across our platforms and services, to our customers live on a Tuesday night."
Sky Sports broadcasts more than 20 hours of WWE programming per week, including WWE Main Event and WWE Experience.
Sky Sports Box Office also features monthly pay-per-view events, including WrestleMania, SummerSlam, Royal Rumble and Survivor Series.
WWE programming has appeared on Sky TV since 1989 and WWE programmes regularly rank amongst the top 10 shows across Sky Sports channels.
