Brad Schwartz, president of The CW Network, is making it clear that women’s wrestling is at the heart of the channel’s growing sports strategy. Speaking at the Sports Business Journal Media Innovators conference this week, Schwartz praised WWE NXT’s women’s division in strikingly direct terms, calling it the strongest in the entire company and a centerpiece of The CW’s live programming plans.
During his remarks, Schwartz highlighted how the NXT women’s roster has exceeded expectations since the brand moved to The CW as part of a multi-year rights deal. He noted that the quality and depth of the women’s matches have stood out so much that, in his view, they are outperforming the men on the same show. As he put it, “I think the women of NXT are better than the men. The women’s division of NXT is probably the strongest in all of WWE wrestling.” Those comments have quickly circulated among wrestling fans and have added fuel to ongoing conversations about how women’s sports are presented and valued on major platforms.
Schwartz also framed NXT as a cornerstone of The CW’s broader push into live sports. The network’s agreement with WWE brought NXT to broadcast television in October 2024, giving The CW a weekly, year-round live event on Tuesday nights. In his remarks, Schwartz explained that NXT offers something especially valuable in the current media landscape: consistent appointment viewing that can be built up over time. He spoke about using the full reach of Nexstar, The CW’s parent company, to promote the show, turn performers into recognizable stars, and grow the audience over the five-year life of the deal.
For fans of women’s sports, the most noteworthy part of Schwartz’s comments is not just the praise itself, but who is saying it and where. It is unusual for a broadcast network president to single out a women’s division in such strong terms, and his remarks come at a time when interest in women’s athletics is climbing across multiple sports. From record-setting television numbers for women’s basketball to rising visibility for women’s soccer and combat sports, audiences are responding when female athletes are given a prominent stage and consistent promotion.
NXT’s women’s division has been building that kind of reputation over the past several years, with performers regularly delivering high-profile matches and storylines on national television. Stars including Roxanne Perez, Lyra Valkyria, Jacy Jayne, Tatum Paxley, and others have become key faces of the brand, often closing shows or anchoring major specials. Schwartz’s comments essentially acknowledge on the record what many viewers have already felt for a while, that these athletes are not simply filling a quota but driving the product creatively and in the ring.
The CW’s approach with NXT also fits a larger pattern in sports media. Rather than treating women’s matches as something secondary, the network is positioning them as a selling point for its partnership with WWE. That shift matters. When executives talk about women’s divisions as “the strongest” parts of a property, it influences how the product is marketed, how it is scheduled, and how new viewers are introduced to it. It also sends a message to younger fans and aspiring athletes that there is real support for women performing at the highest level on a major network.
At the same time, Schwartz’s remarks avoid turning women’s wrestling into a talking point about anything other than performance. His focus stays squarely on the level of talent, the quality of the matches, and the value that the division brings to The CW’s programming strategy. For an entertainment landscape that is still figuring out how to consistently present women’s sports, that kind of straightforward recognition carries weight. It suggests that the success of women’s wrestling on NXT is not a novelty, but a core reason the show is considered an important part of The CW’s schedule.
As NXT continues its run on The CW, the network’s strong public backing of the women’s division will be something to watch. If the show keeps delivering standout matches and growing its audience, Schwartz’s comments may be remembered as a clear marker of where women’s sports stood in this moment, with a broadcast network openly crediting women performers as one of its biggest competitive advantages.