WWE announced in a press release today that Bruce Prichard has been named to be the Executive Director of Friday Night SmackDown on FOX, replacing Eric Bischoff.
Prichard, who was hired back by WWE this past January after having previously worked for the company from 1992 to 2008, has been part of the creative team consultant. Prichard will report directly to Vince McMahon and will “oversee the creative development of Friday Night SmackDown on FOX and ensure integration across all platforms and lines of business.”
Bischoff’s hiring was announced back in June (along with Paul Heyman’s) to be the Executive Director of SmackDown, a position that was created to, as McMahon put it on the July conference call to shareholders, get him “out of the weeds.” There is no word on what Bischoff’s status is within WWE.
You can view the entire press release below:
WWE® NAMES BRUCE PRICHARD EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF SMACKDOWN®
Stamford, Conn., October 15, 2019 – WWE (NYSE: WWE) today announced that it has named Bruce Prichard the Executive Director of Friday Night SmackDown, reporting directly to WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon.
Prichard will oversee the creative development of Friday Night SmackDown on FOX and ensure integration across all platforms and lines of business, replacing Eric Bischoff.
Prichard brings nearly 40 years of experience in sports entertainment with an extensive background in character development and creative storytelling. Over the course of his career, Prichard has served in a variety of roles including announcer, producer, agent and on-screen personality. Earlier this year, Prichard returned to WWE as a member of the company’s creative team.
Friday Night SmackDown airs at 8 pm ET/PT on FOX.
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