REVEALED: Why WWE SmackDown Went Off The Air During Live Netflix Broadcast

International viewers of Friday Night SmackDown yesterday were left twiddling their thumbs and scratching their heads due to the show going off the air across Netflix mid-way through the show’s opening promo between Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton, with the feed not returning for over half an hour.

When things returned, Michael Cole and Wade Barrett apologised for the technical difficulties, and pushed forwards pretty quickly with the show, with no explanation given as to why the show went off the air for such an extended period of time. PWInsider has offered some insight into why technical problems occurred. 

It is revealed that there was a loss of power across Riyadh, Saudi Arabia which in turn affected WWE’s entire production - these elements included the very important control room and gorilla position. They were unable to control different elements of the show both in the arena and for fans at home. It was not a Netflix issue, but one that emerged from the venue itself. When SmackDown aired in the US, handheld footage was shown of the Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton promo that international viewers missed. The show featured several title matches, including a brand new Women's United States Champion in the form of Giulia.

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