History of WWE SmackDown in Timeline

WWE SmackDown is a professional wrestling television program produced by WWE, airing live every Friday on USA Network (and on Netflix internationally). Debuting on August 26, 1999, it features wrestlers assigned to the SmackDown brand and is considered one of WWE's flagship programs alongside Monday Night Raw.

November 14, 1992: Last WWE Program on Fox

November 14, 1992, marked the last time WWE programming had aired on Fox before the agreement to air SmackDown, with the airing of Saturday Night's Main Event.

April 29, 1999: First Appearance of WWF SmackDown!

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

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.

November 30, 1999: Announcement of Changes to SmackDown!

On November 30, 1999, Vince McMahon announced changes to SmackDown! to reduce aggression, colorful language, and sexuality.

1999: Debut on UPN

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

March 2002: Implementation of Brand Extension

In March 2002, WWF implemented the "brand extension", separating Raw and SmackDown! into distinct rosters.

2002: WWE Brand Split

In 2002, SmackDown became further distinct after the WWE brand split, representing the company's talent in the SmackDown brand roster.

2004: Viewership Success

In 2004, SmackDown! had an average viewership of 5.1 million viewers, making it UPN's second-highest-rated series.

August 1, 2005: Raw Surpassed SmackDown

On August 1, 2005, Raw surpassed SmackDown to become the longest-running weekly episodic television series in American television history.

September 9, 2005: Move to Friday Nights

On September 9, 2005, SmackDown! moved to Friday nights from its original Thursday night slot.

January 2006: The CW Announcement

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 and renew Friday Night SmackDown! for two more seasons.

September 2006: Airing on 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 Brand Extension

During the August 29, 2011 episode of Raw, 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 in 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.

December 16, 2014: 800th Episode Special

On December 16, 2014, SmackDown aired a live 800th episode special on USA Network, 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 time slot.

January 2015: Return to Thursday Time Slot

In January 2015, SmackDown returned to a Thursday time slot, expected 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: Brand Extension Re-Implementation

On May 25, 2016, as part of the re-implementation of the brand extension and split between Raw and SmackDown, 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; Paige Named GM

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: Agreement to Air SmackDown

On June 26, 2018, Fox announced a five-year agreement to air SmackDown for $205 million per year.

October 16, 2018: 1000th Episode

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

October 4, 2019: Move to Fox

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

October 2019: Pre-emption to FS1

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 in October 2019 due to the World Series, an hour-long version of the episode aired on Fox the following Sunday afternoon.

March 13, 2020: WWE Touring Shows Cancelled

From March 13, 2020, all WWE touring shows were cancelled indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with SmackDown, Raw, and pay-per-views being broadcast from a studio in the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida with no audience beginning that night.

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: Return to Hosting and Touring Shows

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

June 30, 2023: SmackDown Held at The O2 Arena

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

September 21, 2023: Return to USA Network Announced

On September 21, 2023, it was announced that SmackDown would return to USA Network in October 2024.

May 9, 2024: Return Date to USA Network Announced

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 Return Date 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: Return to USA Network

In October 2024, SmackDown will return to USA Network following the expiration of WWE's contract with Fox.

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

On December 14, 2024, one of the primetime specials that WWE agreed to produce for NBC, a second revival of Saturday Night's Main Event, premiered.

2024: Episodes Aired From Other Countries

In 2024, the program aired episodes from other countries for the first time in conjunction with other WWE PPV's, including May 3 for Backlash France, May 24 for King and Queen of the Ring, and August 31 for Bash in Berlin.