WWE has announced that Bruce Prichard has been named the Executive Director of Friday Night SmackDown.
As a result, he has replaced Eric Bischoff in that role and will be reporting directly to Vince McMahon. WWE issued the following:
Stamford, Conn., October 15, 2019 – WWE (NYSE: WWE) today announced that it has named Bruce Prichard the Executive Director of Friday Night SmackDown, reporting directly to WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon.
Prichard will oversee the creative development of Friday Night SmackDown on FOX and ensure integration across all platforms and lines of business, replacing Eric Bischoff.
Prichard brings nearly 40 years of experience in sports entertainment with an extensive background in character development and creative storytelling. Over the course of his career, Prichard has served in a variety of roles including announcer, producer, agent and on-screen personality. Earlier this year, Prichard returned to WWE as a member of the company’s creative team.
Friday Night SmackDown airs at 8 pm ET/PT on FOX.
WWE has also issued the following statement to the media, confirming Bischoff is gone from the company completely:
“Bischoff is no longer with the company and has been replaced by Prichard”
Bischoff has since responded to today’s news, offering the following congratulatory remarks for Prichard’s promotion:
Bruce is a great producer, good friend and I am certain he is going to thrive in his position. He’s going to be working with a great team of the most dedicated and hard working people I have had the pleasure of working with and getting to know. https://t.co/aMKk8d3Rx7
— Eric Bischoff (@EBischoff) October 15, 2019
