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Sports Desk • Wrestling

Saturday Night's Main Event

Saturday Night's Main Event is an American professional wrestling television special series produced by WWE, originally under the WWF banner.

Updated July 30, 20261 min readCited sources

Saturday Night's Main Event is an American professional wrestling television special series produced by WWE, originally under the WWF banner. It first aired on NBC from 1985 to 1992, returned for a short run in 2006–2008, and was revived again in 2024 with performers from WWE's Raw and SmackDown brands.

What it is

Saturday Night's Main Event is a recurring television special, not a weekly series. It debuted in 1985 on NBC, showcasing high-profile matches to a national audience. The series ran through 1992, with NBC carrying it until 1991 and Fox airing it briefly in 1992. WWE revived the format on NBC from 2006 to 2008, and again from 2024 onward, featuring wrestlers from the Raw and SmackDown brands.

Why it matters

The series is widely associated with WWE's expansion on major American broadcast television. It helped present professional wrestling to a broader mainstream audience through nationally televised specials. Its Canadian relevance comes from being a WWE-produced property long broadcast to Canadian fans via North American television and streaming distribution.

Key details

The original run was under the WWF banner. The modern revival continues in the current era, with performers from Raw and SmackDown. The show is known for its intermittent schedule and network history, including NBC as the main broadcaster and a brief Fox period in 1992.

In short

  • Debuted in 1985 on NBC as a WWF special.
  • Ran through 1992, with revivals in 2006–2008 and 2024–present.
  • Current version features Raw and SmackDown brands.
  • Helped bring wrestling to a mainstream broadcast audience.
Canadian angle

Saturday Night's Main Event has Canadian relevance as a WWE-produced property that has long been broadcast to Canadian wrestling fans through North American television and streaming distribution.

Quick questions

What is Saturday Night's Main Event?
It is a recurring WWE professional wrestling television special series that began in 1985.
When did it first air?
It first aired in 1985 on NBC.
Which WWE brands are featured in the current version?
The current version features performers from Raw and SmackDown.

Sources

  1. Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturday_Night's_Main_Event
    Supports: Original run, broadcaster history, revivals, and current WWE branding
  2. Simple Wikipedia — https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturday_Night's_Main_Event
    Supports: 2024 return, NBC/Peacock airing, and basic series description