| WWE NXT | |
|---|---|
 WWE NXT logo (2024–present) | |
| Also known as | NXT Redemption (2011–12) NXT 2.0 (2021–22) |
| Genre | Professional wrestling |
| Created by | |
| Written by |
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| Presented by |
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| Starring | NXT roster |
| Opening theme |
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| Country of origin | United States |
| No. of seasons | 18 |
| No. of episodes | 813 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
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| Camera setup | Multi-camera setup |
| Running time |
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| Production company | WWE |
| Original release | |
| Network | Syfy |
| Release | February 23 (2010-02-23) – September 28, 2010 (2010-09-28) |
| Network | WWE.com |
| Release | October 5, 2010 (2010-10-05) – June 13, 2012 (2012-06-13) |
| Network | Hulu |
| Release | June 20, 2012 (2012-06-20) – February 19, 2014 (2014-02-19)[nb 1] |
| Network | WWE Network |
| Release | February 27, 2014 (2014-02-27) – September 11, 2019 (2019-09-11)[nb 2] |
| Network | USA Network |
| Release | September 18, 2019 (2019-09-18) – September 24, 2024 (2024-09-24) |
| Network | The CW |
| Release | October 1, 2024 (2024-10-01) – present |
| Related | |
WWE NXT, also known simply asNXT, is an Americanprofessional wrestling television program. It is produced by the Americanprofessional wrestling promotionWWE, featuring wrestlers from the promotion'sNXTbrand division. The show currently airs live on Tuesdays at 8 p.m.Eastern Time (ET) onThe CW in the United States, and in most international markets onNetflix.
NXT initially debuted in 2010 onSyfy as aseasonal show which was presented as a hybrid between WWE's scripted live event shows andreality television, in which talent from WWE's then-developmental territoryFlorida Championship Wrestling (FCW) participated in a competition to become WWE's next "breakout star", with the help of mentors from WWE'sRaw andSmackDown brands. Five seasons of this iteration were broadcast, withWade Barrett,Kaval,Kaitlyn, andJohnny Curtis as winners. In June 2012, WWE ended the seasonal competition format and opted to revamp the show as a developmental wrestling program, replacing FCW.NXT became the flagship television show of the NXT brand, and has since received a positive reception and high viewership, with praise for its high quality of wrestling[1][2] and captivating storylines, particularly from 2014 to 2018.[3][4]
The initial version of the show made its debut onSyfy on February 23, 2010, replacingWWE ECW, but was replaced bySmackDown in October. It then aired as an hourlywebcast on WWE.com in the United States until June 13, 2012, before it was expanded to international markets on theWWE Network in 2014. In 2019,NXT expanded into a live two-hour program on the USA Network, airing on Wednesday nights, at the same time as rival promotionAll Elite Wrestling's flagship showDynamite onTNT, before moving to Tuesday nights in April 2021. In September 2021, NXT was revamped and rebranded asNXT 2.0. A supplementary show titledNXT Level Up aired from February 18, 2022, until December 27, 2024, replacing205 Live. In September 2022, "2.0" was dropped from the title, and on October 1, 2024,NXT moved toThe CW.
The WWE Network ceased operations in the United States on April 5, 2021, with all content being moved toPeacock, which currently has most previousNXT episodes, excluding content that was censored or removed by Peacock TV's standards and practices department.[5] Recent episodes are still available for on-demand viewing 30 days after the original air date.[6]
On February 2, 2010, WWE ChairmanVince McMahon introduced a new weekly program that would replace the canceledECW in its time slot on Syfy. McMahon described the show as "the next evolution of WWE; the next evolution of television history".[7]
The new show's name,NXT,[8] was later discovered to betrademark already in the United Kingdom byNational Wrestling Alliance (NWA) affiliate Scottish Wrestling Alliance (SWA) which also used "NXT" as their brand for upcoming stars. Both parties ultimately reached an agreement that resulted in SWA releasing the "NXT" trademark in favor of a new one before the show's debut.[9][10]
The show's format was revealed in an article byVariety on February 16, with a press release from WWE made shortly later that day.[11][12][13]NXT is the secondreality-based series produced by WWE, the first beingWWE Tough Enough which aired between 2001 and 2004.[11] Due to WWE's nature of airing weekly shows without hiatus, the plan forNXT was to split the year's set of episodes into multipleseasons.[11]
NXT was formed in 2010 when they paired up wrestlers from WWE's developmental territory Florida Championship Wrestling (dubbed "Rookies") with wrestlers from WWE's existingRaw andSmackDownbrands (dubbed "Pros"). Each episode featured the rookies being mentored by the pros as they develop theirgimmick and performance skills in front of a live audience. The pairings also enabled the show to crossover into WWE'sRaw andSmackDown programs.[11][13] As the length of each season differed, features of the competition occur at different times accordingly. In addition to matches, weekly challenges were held during the competition to further test the Rookies' physical and mental skills.[14]
Past physical challenges include a keg carrying contest, an assault course contest and a "Rock 'Em Sock 'Em" tournament.[14][15][16] Past non-physical challenges include making 30-secondpromos on a given topic and sellingprogramme within a time limit.[17][18]
During the first two seasons, the winner of the weekly challenge receives a special prize such as a main event match, a talk show segment or a feature on WWE's official website.[14][17][18] One of the more frequent prizes given out to the winner is an "Immunity Pass", which gives the holderimmunity from elimination in the next round of polls.[19][20] During the last three seasons a greater emphasis on challenges was placed on the show. Instead of awarding prizes to the winner of the challenges, points are instead awarded to the winner with a cumulative tally of points recorded before each of the first three polls. The Rookie with the most points before the next upcoming poll is awarded immunity.[21] In season three, one point is awarded for winning the challenge.[21]
In October 2010, WWE moved their showSmackDown to Syfy, withNXT leaving the network at the same time.[22][23][24] Despite WWE's stated intention of broadcasting the show on another TV channel,[25]NXT began to be aired as awebcast on WWE's website for American visitors.
In season four, the number of points vary on the difficulty of the challenge.[26][27] In the result of a tie-break, the audience is then asked to vote for the Rookie they want to get immunity.[28] Season four also saw the introduction of challenge matches involving the entire roster of Pros or Rookies where the winner would be given the chance to swap their respective Rookie or Pro for another.[29][30] In various weeks, polls were held to evaluate the success of each Rookie and determine the winner of the competition.[31] The poll rankings are entirely determined by votes from the Pros and starting from season 2, votes from fans via WWE's official website.[32] In the Pros' votes, each of the Pros vote for their favorite Rookie, but cannot vote for their own Rookie.[31] Their votes are based on the following four criteria:[33]
Initially, in the first two seasons the full results and rankings from the poll were revealed.[34] However, since August 17, 2010 only the elimination is revealed.[35] The first poll, usually held a third of the way through the competition, determines the Rookies' rankings. Subsequent polls are held several weeks later near the end of the season, where the lowest ranked Rookie without immunity is eliminated.[34] Season 2 was set to use this format, but was changed to have the first poll an elimination poll.[20][36] Season three also used the second season's format.[21] The show continued until the season finale, where the final two or three Rookies appear. One or two final polls were then held to determine the winner of the competition.[34][37] The prize for the winner is a WWE contract as well as a championship match at anylist of WWE pay-per-views.[34][38] Outside of the polls, Rookies could still be eliminated via an executive decision from WWE management, as the first season saw bothDaniel Bryan andMichael Tarver eliminated by management for a lack of self-confidence.[39]
Starting in 2012, the all-rookie competition was abandoned with the show now featuring past and present rookies alongside lower cardmembers of the main WWE roster.William Regal would also take over as the authority figure and match coordinator, withMatt Striker being retained as the show's host. On May 30, 2012, it was revealed that a sixth season ofNXT under its original format was set to air. The season was supposed to starBig E,Seth Rollins,Damien Sandow,Hunico,Bo Dallas andAdam Rose as the season's rookies, but ultimately was cancelled before airing.[40][41]
In May 2012, the show's format was revamped. The show began using more talent from FCW as well as talent from the main roster. The first four episodes under the new format were taped atFull Sail University on May 17.[42] Beginning withNXT Arrival in February 2014, NXT has occasionally aired live specials on the WWE Network. These events would be aired under theNXT TakeOver banner from May 2014 to 2021, and effectively serve as the brand's equivalent to the main roster's pay-per-view shows.
WWE continued to airNXT Redemption, hoping a new television deal could be made. WWE.com revealed on June 13 that the new version ofNXT would be made available online via WWE.com andYouTube beginning on Wednesday, June 20; when WWE would begin airing the episodes they taped at Full Sail on May 17. However, WWE removed all of theNXT material from their website on June 19.[43]NXT was then aired exclusively on Hulu and Hulu Plus in the United States, while continuing to be broadcast internationally.[44][45]
NXT returned to cable on December 20, 2017, airing a 1-hour special onUSA Network.[46]
In September 2019,NXT permanently moved to USA Network and was revamped as a live, two-hour program on Wednesday nights, with replays available the following day on WWE Network.[47][48] Due to scheduling overlap with the final episodes ofSuits, the second hour of the program was aired on WWE Network until October 2, when it began airing in its entirety on USA. This started theWednesday Night Wars,[49] during which NXT was broadcast in direct competition with rival wrestling showAEW Dynamite, which aired in the same time slot onTNT.[50] Several publications noted the similarity between this ratings war and theMonday Night War that had involvedRaw andWCW Monday Nitro.[51][52]
Beginning with the March 18, 2020, episode ofNXT, WWE began filming all of its programs without an audience at Full Sail University as a result of restrictions imposed amid theCOVID-19 pandemic. On October 4, 2020,NXT relocated from Full Sail to theWWE Performance Center's main studio, citing logistical issues preventing it from continuing its residency at the university. The studio—which had been used byRaw andSmackDown from March to August due to COVID-19—was reconfigured as the "Capitol Wrestling Center", which featured avirtual audience on a video wall, and a limited in-person audience shielded behindplexiglass barriers.[53][54][55][56] COVID-19 measures in the studio began to be lifted in April 2021, and removed entirely in June.[57]
With the end ofWednesday Night Wars, on April 13, 2021, followingWrestleMania 37, WWE movedNXT back to Tuesday nights.[58][59][60] After twelve NXT wrestlers were released from their contracts that August,Dave Scherer and Mike Johnson ofPro Wrestling Insider reported there had been internal talks of major changes to the brand, such as: "a new logo, new lighting, a focus on younger talents and a different format to the TV shows."[61]Dave Meltzer reported that, after having lost the ratings war with AEW, NXT will likely go back to their developmental roots, with "talent that are younger, bigger and that could someday main event atWrestleMania."[62] WWE President Nick Khan subsequently confirmed that NXT would undergo a "complete revamp" overseen byTriple H.[63] However, due to undergoing heart surgery in September, Levesque stepped away from NXT[64] withShawn Michaels stepping in to oversee the changes.[65]
On the September 14, 2021 episode ofNXT, the program was relaunched asNXT 2.0 to mark the changes, introducing a new rainbow-colored logo and redesigned studio.[66][67] In September 2022, Michaels' role was made permanent, with his job title confirmed as Senior Vice President of Talent Development Creative, responsible for both creative and development at NXT.[68] At the conclusion of the September 13, 2022 episode ofNXT (which marked the one-year anniversary of the relaunch), an updatedNXT logo was unveiled, removing the "2.0" branding and returning to a gold color scheme.[69]
On November 7, 2023, WWE announced thatNXT would move toThe CW in October 2024 under a five-year deal.[70] The network had previously broadcastSmackDown (as a carry-over from its co-predecessor,UPN), as well as the short-livedSaturday Morning Slam (as part of theSaban Brands-produced Saturday morning blockVortexx).[71][72]
NXT premiered on The CW October 1, 2024; as part of the launch, the program scheduled two weeks of travel shows while the Performance Center studio was redesigned,[73] with the season premiere fromAllstate Arena in Rosemont, followed byEnterprise Center in St. Louis the following week. However, the St. Louis show was later moved to a smaller venue—The Factory at The District—in the suburb ofChesterfield, Missouri.[74][75]
On October 21, 2024, WWE announced that it would broadcastNXT 2300 from2300 Arena in Philadelphia (the former home arena ofECW) on November 6, a special Wednesday night broadcast due to The CW simulcastingcorporate siblingNewsNation's coverage of the2024 United States presidential election the previous day.[76][77]
The wrestlers featured on WWE take part in scriptedfeuds andstorylines. Wrestlers are portrayed asheroes,villains, orless distinguishable characters in scripted events that build tension and culminate in a wrestling match.
The primary commentators forNXT areVic Joseph andBooker T. Additional commentary has been provided byMichael Cole,Jim Ross, Tony Dawson,Tom Phillips, Rich Brennan,Mauro Ranallo,Corey Graves and others since its creation.
In its original incarnation, theAmerican Bang song "Wild and Young" had been used for each season with the exception of the third.[78] During season three, the show's opening theme song was "You Make the Rain Fall" byKevin Rudolf.[79][80] "Get Thru This" byArt of Dying was also used asbumper music during the initial five seasons of the show.[81] NXT, as a game show, were held in large arenas as a part of the taping schedules of WWE's other shows which featured the ring ropes yellow and used the same HD set used by WWE's other weekly programs.
Upon its reboot and arrival atFull Sail University, "Welcome Home" byCoheed and Cambria was used from the show's relaunch on June 20, 2012, to February 24, 2014, but it retains the yellow ropes and used the black mat. "Roar of the Crowd" byCFO$ served as the official theme song forNXT since its arrival to theWWE Network from (February 27, 2014) to April 5, 2017. A remix of the same song was used starting on June 15, 2016. From April 12, 2017, the theme song was "Rage" by CFO$, followed by "Resistance" by Powerflo; which was first used on the May 31, 2017 episode.
On the April 4, 2019 episode, "All Out Life" bySlipknot was used as the new theme song.
From April 13, 2021, to September 7, 2021, the official theme song forNXT was "Say Cheese" byPoppy, first performed atNXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver.
When NXT was relaunched as NXT 2.0 on September 14, 2021, the official theme song was "Down South" byWale featuringYella Beezy &Maxo Kream. The new set features multicolored LED screens with an arch. The ring mat turned white and the ring ropes became white before turning blue and the announce table was repositioned. After NXT 2.0 was reverted to NXT, the ring ropes were reverted to white and the logo became white with black and gold accents in October 2022.
From October 1, 2024, episode, the new official theme song is "Millions From Now" by2 Chainz &Lil Wayne and the ring mat would now be middle grey.
| Channel | Timeslot | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Syfy | Tuesday 10–11 p.m.ET | February 23, 2010 – September 28, 2010 |
| Tuesday 8–10 p.m.ET | February 8, 2022 – February 15, 2022 | |
| USA | Wednesday 8–10 p.m.ET | September 18, 2019 – April 7, 2021 |
| Tuesday 8–10 p.m.ET | April 13, 2021 – September 24, 2024 | |
| The CW | Tuesday 8-10 p.mET[82] | October 1, 2024 – present |
NXT currently broadcasts live in Canada on Netflix, alongsideRaw andSmackDown. Initially, the show aired onGlobal Television Network taking the old slot of ECW. In July 2010, the series moved to The Score (renamed toSportsnet 360 in 2013).[83]
In February 2021,NXT began to broadcast live on Wednesday aligning with USA Network schedule. This continued whenNXT returned to Tuesday nights in April 2021.[84]
All archived broadcasts ofNXT were available on theWWE Network until its closure in December 2024. Since January 1, 2025, WWE's Canadian broadcast rights are held byNetflix. Select archived episodes are available for streaming on Netflix under the titleNXT Vault, with live broadcasts beginning onJanuary 7.
Although Netflix is the current rights holder in Canada,NXT is still available on linear television, as The CW is widely carried by Canadian television providers.
WWE NXT is currently broadcast in the United Kingdom onNetflix alongsideRaw andSmackdown.[85]
InSouth Africa, WWE NXT airs live onSuperSport on Wednesdays.[86]
In theArab world, NXT airs live on Netflix on Wednesday mornings.
InNew Zealand, a one-hour version of NXT is broadcast onSky 5 andSky Open.[87]
InGermany,ProSieben Maxx started broadcasting NXT episodes on Thursdays afterWrestleMania 39. They also airRaw on Wednesdays andSmackDown on Saturdays.[88]
In-ring action with new weekly episodes of NXT the day after air, as well as the 2021 replays of RAW and SmackDown 30 days after air.
The half-hour show, which debuts Aug. 25, marks the return of WWE to Saturday morning children's television after an 11-year absence.
