WWE looking for a television outlet for NXT in the fall

Dave Meltzer reported on his subscriber only Wrestling Observer Radio show yesterday that WWE wants to put their developmental show NXT on television this fall. It currently airs on Hulu Plus with new episodes posted every Thursday.

This marks a stark turnaround, as WWE management previously thought that their developmental talent should not be exposed to a national audience until they were ready to be brought up to the main roster, so fans didn't see them while they were still green and unpolished as acts.

However, NXT has become one of the best TV shows that WWE currently produces, thanks to the state of the art production facilities at Full Sail University, Triple H doing an excellent job of direction and the wrestlers running with the ball they were given.

There are rumors that a deal with a network is already in place, but even if one hasn't been signed yet, clearly WWE are working hard to find a suitable television outlet for the program.

With TV rights fees currently escalating for all sports, WWE are trying to position their programming as having the same benefits, a huge audience that tends to watch live and is thus more likely to view the ads that are aired during commercial breaks. In this environment, it makes sense to get as many shows on TV as possible and thus maximise their revenue from television production, even though it could lead to overexposure of the WWE product and fan burnout.

The fact that WWE are currently shopping around NXT to television stations suggests that the company's ambitious plans for the WWE Network may be on the back burner once again.

I expect quite a few Cagesiders will be very pleased with this news that NXT could soon be viewed on their television screens for free.