WWE heading to Netflix
January 23, 2024
By Nik Roseveare
WWE and Netflix have announced a partnership, in a deal worth reportedly in excess of $5 billion for 10 years, that will bring WWE’s flagship content to the streaming service. This marks a major programming shift as Raw – the longest-running weekly episodic television show ever – leaves linear television for the first time since its inception 31 years ago.
From January 2025, Netflix will be the exclusive new home of Raw in the UK, US, Canada and Latin America, among other territories, with additional countries and regions to be added over time. As part of the deal, Netflix will also become the home for all WWE shows and specials outside the US, inclusive of Raw and WWE’s other weekly shows – SmackDown and NXT – as well as the company’s Premium Live Events, including the likes of WrestleMania, SummerSlam and Royal Rumble. WWE’s documentaries, original series and forthcoming projects will also be available on Netflix internationally beginning in 2025
“This deal is transformative,” said Mark Shapiro, TKO President and COO. “It marries the can’t-miss WWE product with Netflix’s extraordinary global reach and locks in significant and predictable economics for many years. Our partnership fundamentally alters and strengthens the media landscape, dramatically expands the reach of WWE, and brings weekly live appointment viewing to Netflix.”
“We are excited to have WWE Raw, with its huge and passionate multigenerational fan base, on Netflix,” commented Netflix Chief Content Officer, Bela Bajaria. “By combining our reach, recommendations, and fandom with WWE, we’ll be able to deliver more joy and value for their audiences and our members. Raw is the best of sports entertainment, blending great characters and storytelling with live action 52 weeks a year and we’re thrilled to be in this long-term partnership with WWE.”
“In its relatively short history, Netflix has engineered a phenomenal track record for storytelling,” aded Nick Khan, WWE President. “We believe Netflix, as one of the world’s leading entertainment brands, is the ideal long-term home for Raw’s live, loyal, and ever-growing fan base.”
With 1,600 episodes (as of January 23rd 2024), Raw is billed as the most iconic show in sports entertainment. Since its debut in 1993, it has delivered action, drama and athleticism – 52 weeks a year. Blending the best of scripted content with unpredictable live entertainment, the three-hour show has helped launch the careers of Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin, Triple H, John Cena, Roman Reigns, Dave Bautista, Bianca Belair, Charlotte Flair and others. Raw is the current home of WWE Superstars including Seth Rollins, Cody Rhodes, CM Punk, Rhea Ripley, R-Truth, The Miz, Dominik Mysterio, Becky Lynch and many more, whilst the Smackdown roster boasts the likes of Roman Reigns, Kevin Owens, Bayley, Logan Paul, Asuka, LA Knight, Randy Orton and AJ Styles.
The show is currently the No. 1 rated show on USA Network, where it brings in 17.5 million unique US viewers over the course of the year.
In the UK, WWE programming has aired on BT Sport, which subsequently became TNT Sports, since January 2020.
Netflix is due to release its quarterly results later today (January 23rd).
WWE’s next PLE is the Royal Rumble which takes place at the Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida on January 27th.