Smackdown moving from MyNetworkTV to SyFy

On Tuesday, World Wrestling Entertainment announced its move of "Friday Night Smackdown" from MyNetworkTV to SyFy. Reportedly, MyNetworkTV has opted out of its contract for the show. The move is expected to start with SyFy airing Smackdown next fall according to the New York Times.

Other reports claim that WWE is shopping it's Tuesday night program NXT to other networks. SyFy has noted that airing Smackdown will be an upgrade from its showing of NXT and previously ECW.

With the news that Smackdown will now go on cable, all of WWE's major TV shows will now have cable station homes. It also puts Smackdown and Raw on cable stations owned by NBC Universal. Raw currently airs on USA Monday nights at 9PM EST. The only other show apart from Raw, Smackdown and NXT is WWE Superstars. Superstars airs Thursdays at 8PM on WGN America which is part of a special cable package on some providers and sattelite TV deals.

Reports were that SyFy couldn't afford "Smackdown" three years ago when WWE was shopping it around, however SyFy president David Howe noted that even though the show is now more expensive it's part of an aggressive growth strategy by the network. The SyFy deal will last two years and there's an option for a third as well. There's still the potential for the WWE to work with NBC Universal to unveil its own WWE exclusive channel, possibly in 2011.

This move will likely please many WWE fans who don't get MyNetworkTV as part of their current cable or sattelite TV packages.