WWE was willing to change its Friday Night SmackDown schedule to help the WNBA solve a major problem with its Finals, and Nick Khan had no issue making the adjustment if it meant getting the game into a bigger arena.
According to ESPN, WWE was approached about moving SmackDown from its usual 8 PM ET start time to 9 PM ET on Friday, October 30, 2026. The proposed change would have allowed Game 6 of the WNBA Finals between the Golden State Valkyries and Atlanta Dream to air on USA Network from 7 PM to 9 PM ET that night.
The situation started because the WNBA was scrambling to find a suitable time for Game 6 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta. The Atlanta Hawks were already scheduled to play the Cleveland Cavaliers at the venue on Thursday, October 29, creating a scheduling conflict for the Dream.
During negotiations over the weekend, State Farm Arena and Atlanta Hawks CEO Steve Koonin reached out to WWE President Nick Khan to see whether the company would be willing to accommodate the WNBA. ESPN explained how WWE became involved in the discussions.
“During the frantic negotiations over the weekend, an unlikely ally emerged — the WWE. At one point, sources told ESPN that Steve Koonin, the Hawks and State Farm Arena CEO, reached out to WWE president Nick Khan and asked if he’d be willing to move the telecast of this week’s Smackdown to accommodate Game 6 of the WNBA Finals on Friday night.”
The request would have required WWE to give up its normal 8 PM ET television start time, but Khan was willing to make it happen. Since both SmackDown and the WNBA Finals air on USA Network, moving WWE’s broadcast back an hour would have created enough room for the basketball game. ESPN provided more details about Khan’s response.
“Smackdown usually airs at 8 p.m. ET on Friday nights on USA Network, which is the broadcast network for this game. If Game 6 were to be played from 7-9 p.m. at State Farm Arena, the WWE would have to move an hour later. Khan told him they’d be fine with the later broadcast window if it was needed to help the WNBA Finals play in a more appropriate arena.”
Despite WWE’s willingness to cooperate, the proposed arrangement never happened. Moving Game 6 to Friday would have also pushed a potential Game 7 to Tuesday, November 3, which would have meant competing with Election Night coverage.
The WNBA ultimately decided against that option and found another way to keep Game 6 at State Farm Arena without disrupting WWE’s television schedule.
Instead, the WNBA announced that Game 6 would take place Thursday, October 29, at 12:30 PM ET. The Hawks also agreed to move their game against Cleveland to 8 PM ET that evening, allowing both games to take place at the same venue.
As a result, WWE SmackDown will air at its regular 8 PM ET start time on Friday, October 30, with no changes necessary.
While the scheduling adjustment ultimately wasn’t needed, the situation showed that WWE was prepared to make a significant television change to accommodate another major sporting event. Khan gave the green light to the proposal, but the WNBA ended up choosing a different solution.
What do you think about WWE being willing to move SmackDown to help the WNBA Finals? Should more major sports organizations be willing to make these kinds of scheduling adjustments for one another? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
