WWE SmackDown to Be Live in London for 1st Time Ever Before 2023 Money in the Bank

WWE announced Thursday that an episode of SmackDown will air live in prime time in the United Kingdom for the first time ever in June.

In a press release (h/t Aaron Varble of ThirstyForNews.com), WWE noted that the high demand for tickets to the 2023 Money in the Bank premium live event at the O2 Arena in London on July 1 has prompted it to hold the June 30 episode of SmackDown at the O2 Arena as well.

Multiple episodes of SmackDown and Raw have taken place in the UK over the years and aired on tape delay, but the June 30 SmackDown will be the first to air in prime time in the UK at 8 p.m. local time, which equates to 3 p.m. ET.

WWE has a rich history in the UK, but it has clearly made a concerted effort to have even more of a presence in the region over the past year.

In September, WWE held the Clash at the Castle premium live event in Cardiff, Wales, and it was both a commercial and critical success, which perhaps opened the door for more future events.

Money in the Bank 2023 will be the first Money in the Bank premium live event to ever be held outside the United States, and it will also be the first WWE main roster premium live event held in London since Insurrextion 2002.

While Money in the Bank is not considered one of WWE's "Big Four" pay-per-views along with WrestleMania, Royal Rumble, SummerSlam and Survivor Series, it isn't far off.

Money in the Bank is perhaps WWE's biggest event outside of the Big Four, and the company's willingness to do it in London is a huge development.

There has long been talk from UK fans about WrestleMania taking place in the United Kingdom one day, and it now seems more possible than ever.

Airing SmackDown and Money in the Bank in the United States at an uncommon time could prove to be the perfect test run to see if it would work for an even larger-scale event like WrestleMania in the future.

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