In a press conference at The O2 Arena on 15 December 2016, Triple H revealed that there would be a 16-man tournament to crown the inaugural WWE United Kingdom Champion. The tournament was held over a two-day period, 14 and 15 January 2017, and aired exclusively on the WWE Network. At the time, it was stated that the championship would be the centerpiece of a new UK-based show produced in the UK, but since the inaugural tournament, it was defended on "NXT" as well as at independent shows in the United Kingdom. The name of the show, "NXT UK", and its premiere was finally revealed during the 2018 United Kingdom Championship Tournament. On 7 June 2018, Johnny Saint was appointed General Manager of WWE's United Kingdom-based brand, officially called NXT UK.