Spike TV announced today in a press release that they have closed negotiations with WWE about renewing a deal.

We are now under the assumption that RAW, Heat, Velocity and Experience will be moving to the USA network in September of this year.

"After several months of negotiations, we have decided to end our discussions about extending our relationship with WWE beyond September 2005," wrote Spike TV in a press release. "Moving forward, Spike TV will expand its investments in original programming and new acquisitions for its core audience."

USA appears to be the only major cable option for Raw, as TNT, TBS and FX have all confirmed no negotiations.

Meh, nothing will change for me. I watch it on TSN (Canadian) and it always had the Spike logo, I guess now it'll have the USA logo.

I think the year after,Smackdown! will be on USA Network because its contract with UPN is running out

I am a little disappointed by this because if they move back to USA, they always get preempted every year by the stupid dog show.

I'm Happy. Theres not much difference between USA And Spike, But USA Will at least feel nostalgic. The dog shows were annoying, But its only once a year.

If Smackdown goes to USA It'll RULE. I Don't have UPN.

Doesn't Tennis pre-empt Raw in August too??? Spike TV seemed like they cared more about WWE than USA Network did in later years. I wonder if USA will fit Heat, Velocity, and the Experience into there schedule on the weekends??? They were the originators of Heat when it started in 1998 and also created the WWE Sunday Morning TV programming, most notably the WWF All-American Wrestling which aired on USA in the late 80s and early 90s on Sunday Mornings. However, it was Spike TV which debuted Velocity back in 2002.

From the Daily News:

WWE Looking for New Television Home

By DAVID BAUDER
AP Television Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- World Wrestling Entertainment is looking for a new television home. Cable's Spike TV, which has shown pro wrestling regularly on Monday and Saturday nights, said it has stopped negotiating with the WWE for an extension of a contract that ends in September.

"Moving forward, Spike TV will expand its investments in original programming and new acquisitions for its core audience," the network said in a statement.

"WWE Raw" and "WWE Raw Zone" are regularly among the most popular programs on cable television; they ranked Nos. 1 and 2 in last week's ranking of the most-watched prime-time basic cable shows.

They're particularly popular among the young men that Spike TV seeks as an audience.

Spike wouldn't comment beyond its statement, but a network executive speaking on condition of anonymity said wrestling was never as popular with advertisers as it was with audiences. Spike is also moving toward more scripted programming and less reality, the executive said.

Still, Spike's statement that its decision came "after several months of negotiations" indicates that its executives saw wrestling had value - just not the value that WWE saw.

The USA Network, which was the home for wrestling before it moved to Spike in 2000, is considered the most likely spot for the WWE.

A USA Network spokesman declined to comment Friday.

The WWE wasn't talking, either.

The loss of wrestling will undoubtedly leave a hole in Spike's schedule and cost a considerable number of viewers.

At least Spike's chief executive, Doug Herzog, will be used to the experience. He was the head of USA five years ago when wrestling left for Spike.

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