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Sports Illustrated writer Richard Deitsch reported today that a number of FOX Sports executives, including FOX Sports President Eric Shanks, FOX Sports Producer Jacob Ullman and even broadcast personality Colin Cowherd, who has always knocked professional wrestling fans (but also admits he grew up watching Don Owens' Pacific Northwest promotion) were all at last night's Smackdown Live taping at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
Obviously, as WWE continues to map out future plans and work on securing its next major partnership with a broadcaster, FOX has been speculated as one of those in the race for WWE's rights.
FOX is still attempting to negotiate a new deal with UFC, but should the MMA company move on, FOX will be in a position to need a replacement franchise, as UFC makes up a good portion of its programming on FOX Sports 1. Obviously, WWE would certainly fill the loss of the MMA flagship if it comes to that.
It should also be noted that UFC owner IMG-WME also represents WWE, so it's not out of the question that they could offer a package deal for both entities to FOX or another broadcaster. There is a great history of the two genres pairing up well from their time on SpikeTV.
FOX Sports did air TNA's Impact Wrestling series when it was initially a one hour broadcast in the early 2000s, but that was believed to have been a "pay for play" deal at the time. Obviously, any relationship between WWE and FOX would be a far more lucrative and top-flight deal, especially as the FOX is poised to sell much of its television and film assets to Disney. That move that will leave FOX flush with lots of money to potentially spend on sports properties, something it has been said FOX has been eyeing greatly forward.
Stay tuned.
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