WWE SmackDown To Air Twice On FS1 In October
Due to MLB's postseason coverage
Aug 29, 2021
As has been the case since moving to FOX in 2019, WWE SmackDown will have to deal with broadcasting changes during the MLB playoffs.
According to Major League Baseball's postseason schedule, the primary FOX network will be airing Game 1 of the American League Championship Series on Friday, October 15, and Game 3 of the World Series on Friday, October 29.
As a result of this scheduling, in both of those weeks, SmackDown will air on FOX Sports 1, according to Mike Johnson of PWInsider.
In both 2019 and 2020, SmackDown aired on FS1 the same night as the third game of the World Series. This is the first time it's also bumped in favor of a playoff game from another round.
In both years, SmackDown's one-week move to FS1 resulted in greatly-diminished TV viewership, dipping below one million viewers in each instance. However, the show rebounded to a normal viewership level upon returning to FOX the following week.
The October 22 SmackDown, unmoved by FOX baseball coverage as it currently stands, takes place one day following the Crown Jewel pay-per-view in Riyadh.
