Fox is going all-in on the pro-wrestling thing. The broadcast network has scheduled a pair of WWE specials leading up to its premiere of “Friday Night SmackDown.” That weekly series’ Oct. 4 broadcast TV debut will immediately be preceded by a half-hour “blue carpet” special.
First up is “WWE SmackDown’s Greatest Hits,” which airs from 8-9 p.m. ET/PT next Friday — one week ahead of Fox’s “SmackDown” premiere — and will be hosted by wrestlers Charlotte Flair and The Miz.
Two nights later, John Cena will narrate “WWE WrestleMania’s Legendary Moments.” He’s almost certainly been a part of a few of those.
The Oct. 4 blue carpet, starting at 7:30 p.m. ET, will feature “arrivals and backstage access to celebrities and athletes, as well as past and present WWE Superstars to kick off the new era of WWE on Fox,” according to a Wednesday press release jointly put out by Fox Sports and WWE.
Appropriately, Fox’s first “Friday Night SmackDown” episode is taking place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
TheWrap first reported Fox’s acquisition of “SmackDown” and its intention to move the show from Tuesdays to Friday nights. We also first reported that the show would remain live.
“SmackDown Live” still airs for one more week on USA Network.
Here are all the “SmackDown”-on-Fox airtime details:
“Friday Night SmackDown” airs live at 8:00 PM ET/7:00 PM CT on Fox. For viewers in the Mountain and Pacific time zones, “SmackDown” airs at 7:00 PM MT/8:00 PM PT on FOX. For all authenticated viewers nationwide, “SmackDown” will be available to stream live at 8:00 PM ET/7:00 PM CT/6:00 PM MT/5:00 PM PT on the Fox Sports App.