WWE expands Sportsnet deal in Canada to include live airings of NXT

By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)

WWE issued the following press release on Monday to announce the expansion of its deal with Sportsnet in Canada to include live airings of the weekly NXT television show.

TORONTO & STAMFORD, Conn.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Sportsnet and WWE (NYSE: WWE) today announced an expanded agreement to air live broadcasts of NXT on Sportsnet 360 and SN NOW beginning this Wednesday, Feb. 24 at 8 p.m. ET.

Now airing live every Wednesday night on Sportsnet 360 and SN NOW, 52 weeks a year, NXT is revolutionizing the world of sports entertainment with innovative styles from trend-setting and unapologetic Superstars including Finn Bálor, Adam Cole, Io Shirai, Karrion Kross, Johnny Gargano and Candice LeRae. In addition to NXT, Sportsnet 360 will continue to air WWE’s weekly flagship programs Monday Night Raw and Friday Night SmackDown, as well as WWE Main Event, and This Week in WWE. Sportsnet is also the exclusive distribution partner for WWE Network in Canada offering all WWE pay-per-view events and groundbreaking original series as a premium linear channel.

“Our fans in Canada have been all in on NXT since day one,” said Paul “Triple H” Levesque, WWE Executive Vice President, Global Talent Strategy & Development. “We’re thrilled about this expanded partnership with Sportsnet which will help us grow NXT’s reach throughout the country and introduce even more fans to the newest generation of WWE Superstars.”

“WWE provides some of the most electrifying entertainment in all of sports, and the passion of their fanbase in Canada is second to none,” said Greg Sansone, Vice-President, Programming, Sportsnet. “Reinforcing our already robust slate of live WWE programming with NXT was an easy choice and one our audiences have been asking for. We can’t wait to see the newest generation of Superstars live in action every Wednesday night.”

In 2014, Sportsnet and WWE signed a historic 10-year broadcast agreement, making Sportsnet the exclusive distributor of WWE programming in Canada through 2024.

About Sportsnet

Sportsnet is Canada’s #1 sports network. Uniting Canadians through sport, Sportsnet’s multimedia offerings include Sportsnet (consisting of 4 regional channels: East, Ontario, West, and Pacific), Sportsnet ONE, Sportsnet 360, Sportsnet World, the Sportsnet Radio Network, Sportsnet.ca, Sportsnet NOW, SN NOW+, the Sportsnet app, and podcasts. Sportsnet is the official Canadian NHL national multiplatform rights holder, and is the regional broadcaster for the Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, and Toronto Maple Leafs. Sportsnet also has extensive coverage of the Toronto Blue Jays and Toronto Raptors, as well as NBA, MLB, Grand Slam of Curling, Rogers Cup, CHL, IndyCar, WWE, Super League Rugby, Premiership Rugby, Bundesliga, FA Women’s Super League, and FA Cup. Sportsnet is part of Rogers Sports & Media, which is a subsidiary of Rogers Communications Inc. (TSX, NYSE: RCI). Visit Sportsnet.ca.

Powell’s POV: This appears to be good news for Canadian fans in that they will be able to see NXT live on a weekly basis. John Moore’s live reviews of NXT are available at Dot Net each week as the show airs at 7CT/8ET.