WWE Returns To Free-To-Air TV In The UK

WWE today announced a deal to bring one-hour weekly episodes of Raw & SmackDown to Channel 5. The deal also see’s NXT UK make it’s TV debut, outside of the WWE Network.

The broadcasts will start on 2nd February 2020, with SmackDown highlights airing every Saturday at 10:30am, and Raw highlights will air at 10:30am each Sunday.

This is the first-time WWE have ventured into the UK free-to-air market since 2001, when events aired on Channel 4, albeit with adverts during the middle of matches, which wasn’t favourable to many watching.

WWE has been making huge changes in the UK in terms of broadcasting. WWE left Sky Sports and partnered up with BT Sport at the start of the year, and now this venture shows WWE’s intent for the product to be very accessible in the UK.