Yesterday, we learned that WWE is working on a $1 billion deal with Fox which will see SmackDown Live arrive on broadcast television for five years from Fall 2019 onwards. While some fans initially worried that it means the blue brand will once again become an afterthought, the reality is that the deal is going to make this the A-show as big ratings become a must for the company.
According to Dave Meltzer, the show underperforming would potentially lead to SmackDown Live being moved to Fox Sports 1 but WWE will want to keep the show on Fox because the exposure it gets there will generate new fans and subsequently increase WWE Network subscriptions. This means we'll see bigger stars on the show when it hits Fox, not to mention an upgraded look.
While RAW will still be extremely important, WWE's priority is going to be ensuring that SmackDown Live performs well (so they're not going to be sitting back on their laurels and enjoying that $200+ million a year deal). The show has arguably been the better of the two ever since the brand split so it's perhaps no surprise that WWE is now looking to capitalise on that with this move to Fox.