WWE Sunday Night Heat debuted on August 2, 1998 on the USA Network at 7pm Eastern. During the height of the Attitude Era it was a genuine extension of the Raw product, airing live with top talent including Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, and The Undertaker. Its first episode introduced Shane McMahon to television audiences for the first time. When SmackDown launched in 1999, Heat was gradually pushed down the card and became a platform for mid-card and undercard talent. In 2000, the show moved to MTV as part of WWE’s television deal with Viacom, broadcasting live from WWF New York. In 2002 it returned to its original format, airing before Raw tapings, and was renamed WWE Sunday Night Heat following the company’s rebrand from WWF to WWE. In 2005, Heat lost its US television slot entirely when USA Network declined to pick it up after WWE moved its programming there. The show shifted to a web-only format for North American viewers, streaming on WWE.com on Fridays. Internationally it ...