WWE Shaking Up Broadcast Announce Teams For 2026

WWE’s broadcast announce teams are being shook up heading into 2026.

As heard on the December 29 edition of WWE Raw, Joe Tessitore announced that he and broadcast partner Wade Barrett would be moving back over to Friday Night SmackDown, with Michael Cole and Corey Graves returning to Raw starting January 5 2026 - the one year anniversary of the show’s move to Netflix.

Tessitore noted the ‘great run’ he and Barrett had enjoyed on the brand, with the move coinciding with the with the conclusion of the NFL regular season and the College Football Playoff schedule, which Tessitore covers for ESPN/ABC outside of his WWE duties.

The move mirrors one made in January 2024, with Tessitore and Barrett previously moved from Raw to SmackDown to accommodate Tessitore’s football duties.

Tessitore made his WWE debut in September 2024, calling Raw as Michael Cole moved to SmackDown. Based on previous evidence, it appears these biannual shake-ups will be the norm for WWE whilst Tessitore is hired by the company.

It is as yet unclear which commentary team will be heading up the upcoming January 2 edition of Friday Night SmackDown.