Reason why WWE was absent from NBC and Fox's Upfront presentations today - Reports

Both NBCUniversal and Fox had their Upfront presentations today and neither featured any mention of WWE.

NBCUniversal held its presentation earlier today at Radio City Music Hall in New York. There were clips of WWE shown as part of a promotional package for Peacock, but there was no mention of its programming or an appearance from anyone from the company. The promotion's current deal with NXT and NBCUniversal is set to expire in September, with RAW expiring at the end of the year. The streaming deal with Peacock runs through January 2026.

Fox also held its upfront presentation today at The Manhattan Center and likewise failed to mention WWE. SmackDown currently airs on the Fox network, but the deal is set to expire in 2024. Fox CEO Lachlan Murdoch recently stated that he is happy with the partnership but the two sides haven't engaged in discussions yet.

In an update from PW Insider Elite, the exclusive negotiating window between the promotion and both networks has either already passed or soon will. Once it does, the promotion will be able to shop its media rights to other networks, thus Fox and NBCUniversal decided not to mention WWE today during their presentations.

Last year, Roman Reigns was at Fox's presentation to represent the company. WWE has typically sent superstars to the presentations for both networks in the past, but that was not the case this year.

Wells Fargo analysis predicts Fox will not renew WWE SmackDown at an increased rights fee

The company underwent many changes last year and it looks like that trend will be continuing in 2023.

Vince McMahon recently returned to the promotion to help orchestrate the merger with UFC's parent company, Endeavor. The two organizations will be combined to form one publicly traded company. Forbes SportsMoney Managing Editor Mike Ozanian recently posted a screenshot from a presentation by Wells Fargo Securities suggesting that Fox may not be interested in renewing their deal at an increased rate.

Ozanian stated that Wells Fargo Securities doesn't envision Fox network renewing SmackDown at an increased rate over the current $205 million a year deal. He suggested that the blue brand could leave the network altogether or be split between Fox and a streaming partner.

"Wells Fargo Securities thinks FOX is not likely to renew Smackdown at higher price and it's possible we could see Smackdown split between FOX in linear and a streamer, or the entire night move off and likely accretive to FOXA. WWE - U.S. Rights Deal Economics," tweeted Forbes' Mike Ozanian.

Both RAW and SmackDown still attract tons of viewers and have an established fanbase. The promotion will likely have several networks to choose from if they decide not to renew with Fox or NBCUniversal down the line.

Which network would you like to see the company partner with if negotiations with Fox and NBC fall through? Let us know in the comments section below.