WWE Network Boosts Company Worth Past $1 Billion, Spike TV Looking to Acquire Smackdown for Friday Night Line-Up?

WWE NetworkAccording to the Wrestling Observer, WWE is now worth $1.25 billion as their company stock has doubled since the start of 2013. Between Vince, Stephanie and Linda McMahon, the McMahon family is reportedly very close to billionaire status. 

Two things are contributing to an increasingly public view of the WWE: the impending WWE Network, and their upcoming television rights negotiations. The company stands to make a lot more money when their deals are up in 2014, and will be able to negotiate new deals for each of their shows, including the flagship Monday Night Raw and Friday Night Smackdown. There has been some talk that Spike TV would like to acquire Smackdown for their Friday night block as a lead-in to Bellator MMA. Spike TV is also the US home of Impact Wrestling, and while they would not be competing for time slots on the same night, it's not likely that WWE would agree to a deal where they would be on the same channel as a TNA product. It's possible that if Spike could get a WWE product they would have no further need for Impact, which has been a big draw for the network for many years, but at this point all rumor and speculation is just that. 

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