Will WWE fans who don’t watch NXT on the Network watch it on USA?

NXT has been on the WWE Network since it launched. NXT will be live on USA beginning Wednesday, September 18. It will be available on the Network on Thursdays.

When the WWE Network launched in February 2014, NXT was one of the first programs available. NXT is — or was — like AAA baseball for WWE. It’s a place where Superstars learn how to work the WWE way, wrestle in front of larger audiences in some cases and wrestle for TV. Many wrestlers that you see on Monday Night Raw and SmackDown Live, such as Big E, Aleister Black, Sasha Banks, Bayley, Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss all started out there.

The show is currently filmed four episodes in advance at Full Sail University. Beginning on September 18, NXT will be live from Full Sail University every Wednesday and will air on the USA Network, the same network which airs both Raw and, until its October 2 move to FOX, SmackDown.

Many fans of independent wrestling tune into NXT weekly. Much of the roster is made up of former indie talents like Jordan Myles, Isaiah “Swerve” Scott, Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa. Wrestlers like KUSHIDA, Adam Cole, Roderick Strong, Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Fish came from other companies. NXT had a built-in fanbase to an extent, based on fans’ familiarity with wrestlers.

So, what about the WWE fans who have never watched NXT? Why should they care about it being on USA? There aren’t any big names like Chris Jericho and Cody to make them watch. Tyler Breeze and Fandango are there. Superstars from 205 Live occasionally make appearances there.NXTTag Team champions, Street Profits, appear on Raw in backstage segments. Is that enough to make WWE fans care if they don’t already?

Being on USA is helpful because fans are already watching Raw and Smackdown there (again, until the latter moves to FOX). Some fans might even be watching Miz & Mrs. and Straight Up Steve Austin. They may tune into NXT because it’s a WWE show. Maybe they’ve heard some of the buzz or even watched a TakeOver or two.

Some WWE fans don’t subscribe to the WWE Network. They might even still be paying for pay-per-views. Now that they can access NXT for free, they’ll be more likely to tune in. Will anyone not being utilized by the main roster go back to NXT to make fans interested? Would they use someone like Gargano, who is beloved by the yellow and black brand, to start a feud on the main roster and continue it on NXT?

With the assistance of DVRs, some fans will watch both NXT and AEW.  It’s a good time to be a wrestling fan with so many options. Which show will you be watching live? And if you aren’t a regular viewer of NXT, will the move to USA get you to watch?