It has been rumored for a while that WWE programming would be leaving Sky Sports sometime soon. BT Sport has now confirmed that news.

One of the biggest stories in wrestling in 2018 was the signing of WWE's new television deals. Its Raw and SmackDown deals combined are worth almost $2.5 billion to WWE. Yes, that is billion with a B. That includes the blue brand's highly anticipated move to Fox later this year.

However, this news only really matters to fans in the US. As WWE often boasts, it is a worldwide company. It was rumored earlier this year that the promotion's UK TV deal is about to be shaken up in a major way too. While its flagship shows have hopped between networks in the US, in the UK, WWE programming has been shown almost exclusively on Sky Sports for 30 years.

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It has now been confirmed that after three decades, WWE's relationship with Sky is coming to an end. BT Sport confirmed the rumors this week that it has signed a multi-year deal with WWE. In a statement on its website, BT Sport announced the partnership and that it will begin in January 2020. Three months after the 30th anniversary of WWE debuting on Sky.

BT Sport also confirmed that its WWE setup will effectively be the same as the one fans have grown used to on Sky Sports. Raw and SmackDown will air live, while repeats and edited versions of the shows will be shown in the days that follow. PPVs will be shown live on its box office platform, however, we are still confused as to who is paying for PPVs when they are all available for a fraction of the price via the WWE Network.

Perhaps the most interesting part of the statement issued by BT Sport is what else its deal with WWE will bring to UK fans. "WWE and BT Sport will also partner across digital and social media platforms to create new content," it reads. We all know how big WWE is when it comes to social media. Some innovative ideas in that arena might well be what persuaded Vince McMahon to leave Sky after all these years. Plus, you know, more money.

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