The pro wrestling world is tightly intertwined with the television landscape. With any changing of hands when it comes to ownership, that always brings attention.
The long-running relationship between NBC and USA Network officially came to an end today as Versant launched on NASDAQ. This finalized the breakup of NBCUniversals cable portfolio. With that move, USA Network is no longer owned by NBC, and that closed a chapter that lasted more than two decades.
The news carries extra weight because USA Network has been closely tied to WWE for most of its modern television history. WWE RAW debuted on USA in 1993 and helped define both the show and the network during the 1990s. Even after RAW briefly left in 2000, the brand returned to USA in 2005 and remained there for nearly two decades.
USA Network also became home to WWE SmackDown during multiple stretches, most notably from 2016 to 2019, and later welcomed SmackDown back in 2024. In addition, NXT aired live on USA beginning in 2019, giving the network three major WWE properties at various points. That long partnership made USA one of the most recognizable destinations for wrestling on cable television.
NBC and USA had shared corporate ownership since 2004, when NBCUniversal consolidated its broadcast and cable assets under one umbrella. Over those 21 years, the two brands became closely linked, especially during eras when Raw was a centerpiece of USAs primetime lineup. Todays split officially ends that arrangement.
Versant now controls a wide range of former NBCUniversal cable and media assets. That list includes USA Network, CNBC, Golf Channel, Oxygen, E!, Syfy, along with digital and film brands like Fandango and Rotten Tomatoes. The separation marks a major shift in how NBCUniversals former cable properties are structured and managed.
While WWEs current media future now stretches across multiple platforms, including streaming, todays change still marks the end of a familiar era. USA Network entering a new phase under Versant may not change SmackDowns current home, but it may change things once the contract comes up.
Whats your take on USA Network ending up in different hands? Do you think that SmackDown will last on there for much longer? Let us know what you think in the comments section!
