Fox Sports 1 will begin scaling back production on WWE programming.
John Ourand of Sports Business Journal reports that as part of the scale back, WWE Backstage will no longer be produced weekly. Ourand reports the show will only be produced around big events and pay-per-view matches but the cutbacks will not affect WWE SmackDown.
FS1 is scaling back production on its boxing and WWE shoulder programming. "WWE Backstage will not longer be produced weekly. It is eliminating "Inside PBC." Double digit job losses as a result. SBJ Media will have the full story tonight.
— John Ourand (@Ourand_SBJ) June 22, 2020
Fox Sports issued the following statement to POST Wrestling:
Today, we announced programming changes designed to better address the needs of our business. As a result, some positions in our production department have been eliminated.
Mike Johnson of PWInsider reports there will not be a new episode on Tuesday.
WWE Backstage premiered on FS1 on November 5, 2019 and airs every Tuesday at 11 p.m. ET. The show is hosted by Renee Young with a rotating panel including Booker T, Chistian, Paige, and Mark Henry. CM Punk serves as a special analyst who makes a monthly appearance. The show recaps the week on WWE television and includes interviews with superstars.
Despite FS1 studios shutting down during the pandemic, the show has continued in a Zoom format.
The most recent episode (June 16) drew 175,000 viewers with CM Punk and Bret Hart on the show.
Along with weekly episodes of WWE Backstage, FS1 has aired WWE content on Tuesday's leading into Backstage with specials and watch along events airing during the pandemic as live sports have been shutdown.
