NBCU & WWE Renew Partnership

NEW YORK/STAMFORD: NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment and WWE have signed a new multiyear partnership that keeps Monday Night Raw on USA Network and Friday Night Smackdown on Syfy.

Monday Night Raw on USA is the most-watched, regularly scheduled, year-round program on cable. It airs as a live three-hour block every Monday night all year. The two-hour Friday Night Smackdown on Syfy averages 1.2 million viewers between the ages of 18 and 49. The two programs are the longest-running weekly episodic entertainment programs on U.S. cable, with a combined reach of 10.8 million viewers each week.

“USA Network President Chris McCumber, Syfy President Dave Howe and I are incredibly pleased to renew this strategic partnership with WWE,” said Bonnie Hammer, the chairman of NBCUniversal Cable. “In today’s TV landscape, live event programming is an extraordinarily valuable asset, and WWE remains the only entertainment franchise that consistently delivers this on a 52-week a year basis. We look forward to bringing WWE’s action-packed and unique brand of drama to the wide audiences across our cable networks for many years to come.”

“We are proud to continue our long-standing partnership with NBCUniversal given their premiere position in the marketplace and vast promotional platforms,” added Vince McMahon, WWE's chairman and CEO. “We are excited about our future as we further the reach and popularity of our live, family-friendly entertainment programming 52 weeks a year.”