History of WWE SmackDown in Timeline

WWE SmackDown is a weekly professional wrestling television program produced by WWE. Airing live every Friday on USA Network in the U.S. and Netflix internationally, the show features wrestlers from the SmackDown brand. Debuting August 26, 1999, it's considered one of WWE's flagship programs alongside Monday Night Raw, showcasing wrestling matches and storylines.

November 14, 1992: Last WWE Program on Fox Before 2019 Deal

On November 14, 1992, Fox aired an episode of Saturday Night's Main Event, which was the last WWE program on Fox before the 2019 deal to air SmackDown.

April 29, 1999: First Appearance of WWF SmackDown!

On April 29, 1999, WWF SmackDown! first appeared using the Raw is War set as a single television special on UPN.

August 26, 1999: SmackDown! Debut

On August 26, 1999, SmackDown! officially debuted on UPN as a weekly, two-hour, primetime show, marking the debut of WWF professional wrestling on broadcast TV. The show was created to complement Raw and compete with WCW's Thunder.

November 30, 1999: Announcement of Changes to SmackDown!

On November 30, 1999, Vince McMahon announced changes to Smackdown! that would lead to "less aggression, less colorful language, less sexuality".

1999: SmackDown! Began on UPN

In 1999, SmackDown! began on the broadcast network UPN and was initially broadcast on Thursday nights.

March 2002: WWF Implemented the Brand Extension

In March 2002, WWF implemented the brand extension, under which Raw and SmackDown! would have separate rosters of performers, positioned as competing brands.

2002: WWE Brand Split

In 2002, the WWE brand split occurred, making SmackDown a distinct brand with its own roster of performers.

2004: Average Viewership

In the 2004–05 season, SmackDown! had an average viewership of 5.1 million viewers.

August 1, 2005: Raw Surpassed SmackDown in Length

On August 1, 2005, Raw surpassed SmackDown as the longest running weekly episodic television series.

September 9, 2005: Move to Friday Nights

On September 9, 2005, SmackDown moved to Friday nights.

January 2006: CBS and Warner Bros. Announce Merger to Form The CW

In January 2006, CBS Corporation and Warner Bros. Entertainment announced that UPN and The WB would merge to form a new network known as The CW.

September 2006: Move to The CW

In September 2006, SmackDown began airing on The CW after the merger of UPN and The WB.

September 22, 2006: First Episode on The CW

On September 22, 2006, Friday Night SmackDown! aired its first episode on The CW.

October 2008: Move to MyNetworkTV

In October 2008, SmackDown moved to MyNetworkTV.

March 20, 2009: 500th Episode

On March 20, 2009, SmackDown celebrated its 500th episode.

October 1, 2010: Move to Syfy

On October 1, 2010, SmackDown moved to cable network Syfy.

August 29, 2011: End of the Brand Extension

On August 29, 2011, WWE dissolved the brand extension, allowing performers to appear on both Raw and SmackDown.

October 14, 2011: Second-Longest-Running Weekly Episodic Television Series

On October 14, 2011, SmackDown became the second-longest-running weekly episodic television series of American television history.

January 18, 2013: 700th Episode

On January 18, 2013, SmackDown celebrated its 700th episode.

October 10, 2014: 15-Year Anniversary

On October 10, 2014, SmackDown celebrated its 15-year anniversary with appearances by Stephanie McMahon, John Laurinaitis, and Teddy Long, culminating in a 15-man tag team match.

December 16, 2014: 800th Episode Special

On December 16, 2014, SmackDown aired a live 800th episode special on USA Network, called SuperSmackDown Live!, featuring a main event between Dolph Ziggler and Seth Rollins.

January 15, 2015: Return to Thursdays

On January 15, 2015, SmackDown returned to its original Thursday night slot.

January 2015: Return to Thursday Nights

In January 2015, SmackDown returned to a Thursday time slot, aiming to attract a younger audience and premium advertising dollars.

January 7, 2016: Move to USA Network

On January 7, 2016, SmackDown moved to the USA Network.

May 25, 2016: Re-implementation of Brand Extension

On May 25, 2016, as part of the re-implementation of the brand extension, it was announced that SmackDown would move to Tuesday nights and be broadcast live.

July 11, 2016: Shane McMahon Named Commissioner

On the July 11, 2016 episode of Raw, Vince McMahon named Shane McMahon the commissioner of SmackDown.

July 22, 2016: New SmackDown Logo Revealed

On July 22, 2016, general manager Daniel Bryan revealed the new SmackDown logo on his official Twitter page, renaming the show SmackDown Live.

April 10, 2018: Daniel Bryan Returns as a Wrestler

On April 10, 2018, SmackDown Commissioner Shane McMahon announced that Daniel Bryan was back as a full-time WWE wrestler and named Paige the new general manager.

June 26, 2018: Fox Announces Agreement to Air SmackDown

On June 26, 2018, Fox announced a five-year agreement to air SmackDown, in a deal worth $205 million per year. This agreement marked the return of WWE programming to Fox.

October 16, 2018: 1000th Episode

The 1000th episode of SmackDown aired on October 16, 2018.

October 4, 2019: Move to Fox and Return to Friday Nights

On October 4, 2019, SmackDown moved to Fox, marking the show's return to Friday nights and over-the-air broadcast television.

October 2019: Pre-emptions Due to MLB Postseason

In October 2019, SmackDown was occasionally pre-empted to FS1 due to conflicts with other Fox Sports programming, particularly the Major League Baseball postseason. In one instance, an hour-long version of the episode aired on Fox the following Sunday afternoon due to the World Series.

March 13, 2020: WWE Touring Shows Cancelled Due to COVID-19

From March 13, 2020, all WWE touring shows were cancelled indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and SmackDown began broadcasting from the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida, without an audience.

April 4, 2021: WWE Network Content Move to Peacock

On April 4, 2021, the WWE Network ceased operations in the United States, with all SmackDown content moved to Peacock.

July 2021: WWE Returned to Touring Shows

In July 2021, WWE returned to hosting and touring shows for both the SmackDown and Raw brands.

June 30, 2023: SmackDown in London

On June 30, 2023, in conjunction with the Money in the Bank event, the episode of SmackDown was held at The O2 Arena in London, England, and broadcast live on BT Sport in local primetime hours for the first time.

September 21, 2023: Announcement of Return to USA Network

On September 21, 2023, it was announced that SmackDown would return to USA Network in October 2024, following the expiration of WWE's contract with Fox.

May 9, 2024: Announcement of Return Date to USA Network

On May 9, 2024, USA Network announced that SmackDown would return to the channel on September 13, 2024, retaining its Friday-night timeslot.

September 13, 2024: Return to USA Network

On September 13, 2024, SmackDown returned to USA Network.

October 4, 2024: Original Date for Return to USA Network

The original date of SmackDown's return to USA Network was October 4, 2024, the fifth anniversary of its premiere on Fox.

October 2024: SmackDown Return to USA Network

In October 2024, SmackDown would return to USA Network.

December 14, 2024: Premiere of Saturday Night's Main Event Revival

On December 14, 2024, the second revival of Saturday Night's Main Event premiered as part of the agreement for SmackDown to return to USA Network.

2024: SmackDown Episodes in Other Countries

In 2024, the program aired episodes from other countries for the first time in conjunction with other WWE PPV's, including France, Saudi Arabia and Germany.