FS1 cancels WWE Backstage

FOX network FS1 has seemingly canceled WWE Backstage as a weekly program.

With the COVID-19 situation putting the sports world on hold, WWE has not been exempt from the shutdown. We’ve seen their pay-per-view events and weekly TV broadcasts held without fans in attendance, and matches have been altered to adjust to how things have been. But now one of their weekly staples has apparently been canceled.

According to John Ourand, Media Reporter for the Sports Business Journal, FS1 is “scaling back production” on its boxing and wrestling programming. As a result, WWE Backstage will no longer be produced on a weekly basis. He posted a later tweet that said Backstage would essentially be produced around the bigger pay-per-view events and certain matches.

WWE Backstage started in 2019, and was made to be a newscast-style program. It broke a lot of news, including the blockbuster announcement that former champion CM Punk would be joining the broadcast as an occasional analyst. It was the first time Punk had been associated with the company since his departure several years back.

Renee Young was the primary host of the show, and was joined by Booker T, Samoa Joe, Paige, Christian and other superstars on a weekly basis. It provided a unique look at the company, with interviews and hot takes from Punk and others.

Backstage falls in line with the likes of Confidential and mid-90s favorite WWF Mania as weekly studio shows that have been dropped. If it’s something they decide is worth keeping, they could always move it to the WWE Network. As of this writing, WWE has not commented on the official status of the show.

What do you think about FS1 reportedly dropping WWE Backstage as a weekly program, along with some of the other shows?