WWE NXT To Begin Airing Live In South Korea For The First Time, WWE - IB Sports Agreement Announced
WWE has announced a new multi-year agreement with IB Sports in South Korea.
The new agreement will see the WWE NXT show begin airing for the first time on broadcast TV in South Korea. IB Sports will continue airing RAW, SmackDown and WWE pay-per-view events.
"IB SPORTS is a valued partner that shares our vision and passion for engaging and entertaining our fans," said Jay Li, WWE's Vice President & General Manager of North Asia. "We are pleased to expand our partnership with the addition of NXT and look forward to continuing to provide WWE's unique blend of action-packed, family-friendly entertainment throughout the country."
NXT will begin airing live at 10am every Thursday, beginning January 7 with the New Year's Evil episode. NXT will then replay at 9pm on Mondays. IB Sports CEO Jung Hwan Kim said the network is excited to introduce NXT to fans in the country.
"We are glad to expand our long-term partnership with WWE and to continue offering the world's best in sports entertainment programming," Kim said. "IB SPORTS is excited to introduce NXT to fans across South Korea and looks forward to launching on January 7."
Below is the full announcement sent to us today by WWE:
WWE® AND IB SPORTS EXPAND PARTNERSHIP IN SOUTH KOREA
SEOUL, South Korea and STAMFORD, Conn., December 11, 2020 ? WWE (NYSE:WWE) and IB SPORTS today announced a new multi-year agreement to continue delivering WWE's weekly flagship programming live and in Korean. In addition to airing Raw and SmackDown, IB SPORTS will now offer NXT as part of the expanded partnership, marking the first time it will be available in South Korea on broadcast television. IB SPORTS will also continue to offer all of WWE's monthly pay-per-view events, including WrestleMania®.
IB SPORTS airs Raw live at 10 am every Tuesday (replays Saturdays at 9 pm)and SmackDown live at 10 am on Saturdays (replays Wednesdays at 9 pm). Beginning Thursday, January 7, 2021, IB SPORTS will air NXT live at 10 am every Thursday (replay Mondays at 9 pm).
"We are glad to expand our long-term partnership with WWE and to continue offering the world's best in sports entertainment programming," said Jung Hwan Kim, IB Sports CEO. "IB SPORTS is excited to introduce NXT to fans across South Korea and looks forward to launching on January 7."
"IB SPORTS is a valued partner that shares our vision and passion for engaging and entertaining our fans," said Jay Li, WWE Vice President & General Manager, North Asia. "We are pleased to expand our partnership with the addition of NXT and look forward to continuing to provide WWE's unique blend of action-packed, family-friendly entertainment throughout the country."
IB SPORTS will also broadcast the latest seasons of Total Divas® and WWE highlight shows AfterBurn® and BottomLine® throughout the week. All programs will be available with Korean voiceover commentary and on IB SPORTS' TV Everywhere platform for authenticated subscribers, as well as its 14-day VOD catchup window.