Report: WWE Adjusting Filming Schedule to Limit Travel for Performers
WWE is making adjustments to its filming schedule to increase safety for its performers during the coronavirus pandemic, according to Pro Wrestling Sheet.
This week, WWE resumed filming at its Performance Center after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis designated the promotion as an essential business. Now the company plans to restructure its filming schedule to reduce performers' travel time. Two episodes will be taped at a time for SmackDown, Raw and NXT on most weeks from April 25 to July 1. Friday night's SmackDown, as well as next week's Raw, NXT and SmackDown programs, will air live as scheduled, per Pro Wrestling Sheet.
Sources told Pro Wrestling Sheet that health and safety measures are being utilized at the WWE Performance Center, including requiring people to wear facemasks, conducting medical screenings on anyone entering a closed set, keeping only essential personnel on-site and asking everyone to adhere to social distancing guidelines outside of performances.
WWE came under fire this week when it announced it would film live shows. Despite people around the world being ordered to stay home, the promotion chose to fly performers to Florida and keep working on a TV show. Experts say WWE's decision only harms public health and fails to boost Florida's economy.
Here's WWE's new filming schedule, per Pro Wrestling Sheet:
- Friday, April 17: SmackDown will air Friday live as scheduled on FOX
- Monday, April 20: Raw will air live as scheduled on USA Network
- Wednesday, April 22: NXT will air live as scheduled
- Friday, April 24: SmackDown will air live as scheduled
- Saturday, April 25: Two episodes of SmackDown will be taped (airing May 1 and May 8)
- Monday, April 27: Two episodes of Raw will be taped (one for that night and the other will air the following week on May 4)
- Wednesday, April 29: two episodes of NXT will be taped (one is for that night, the other will air on May 6)
- Monday, May 11: One episode of Raw will be taped for that night and one episode of SmackDown will be taped for May 15
- Tuesday, May 12: One episode of Raw will be taped for May 18 and one episode of SmackDown will be taped for May 22
- Wednesday, May 13: Two episodes of NXT will be taped (one is for that night, the other will air on May 20)
- Monday, May 25: two episodes of Raw will be taped (one for that night, the other will air on June 1)
- Tuesday, May 26: Two episodes of SmackDown will be taped (one will air on May 29, the other will air on June 5)
- Wednesday, May 27: Two episodes of NXT will be taped (one is for that night, the other will air on June 3)
- Monday, June 8: One episode of Raw taped for that evening and another episode of SmackDown taped for June 12
- Tuesday, June 9: one episode of NXT will be taped for June 10
- Monday, June 15: One episode of Raw taped for that evening and another episode of SmackDown taped for June 19
- Tuesday, June 16: One episode of Raw taped for June 22 and another episode of SmackDown taped for June 26
- Wednesday, June 17: Two episodes of NXT will be taped (one is that night, the other will air on June 24)
- Monday, June 29: Two episodes of Raw will be taped (one for that night and the other will air on July 6)
- Tuesday, June 30: Two episodes of SmackDown will be taped (one for July 3 and one for July 10)
- Wednesday, July 1: Two episodes of NXT will be taped (one is for that night, the other will air on July 8)
