Smackdown next week will air live on USA Network as part of WWE Week with an encore presentation on Friday in its usual time slot on SyFy.
While live Smackdown shows on USA Network have been done in the past, it will be the first time ever that Smackdown will air without any commercials, basically running the show just like a pay-per-view.
USA Network did air two commercial-free RAWs in the past, the first on June 22, 2009 and then again on May 17, 2010.
The first commercial-free RAW was part of the Donald Trump “buying RAW” storyline while the second show featured Buzz Aldrin as a guest star.
While the show will not cut away for any ads, expect to see some product placements in return. WWE used to get the money for advertising during RAW however the new deal with USA Network see USA getting all the money in return for a higher production fee for the show.
