WWE Raw readies for Netflix debut
January 6, 2025
By Nik Roseveare

From January 6th, WWE’s flagship weekly TV shows – Raw, SmackDown and NXT – as well as all WWE Premium Live Events, including the likes of WrestleMania, SummerSlam and the Royal Rumble, will stream exclusively on Netflix in the UK, throughout Europe, and beyond.
As first reported in January 2024, Netflix has secured the rights to WWE content for 10 years in a groudbreaking deal worth a reported $5 billion (€4.8bn).
It’s just the latest innovation in how WWE has distributed its product over the decades, constantly serving as a forerunner as the broadcasting landscape evolves. The company championed and dominated the pay-per-view model throughout the 80s and 90s – as well as the home video market with VHS, and later DVDs and Blu-rays. WWE was also an early adopter of YouTube (in 2008) and its channel now boasts over 100 million subscribers.
Perceiving the downfall in home media sales, and the success of early streaming platforms such as YouTube and (coincidentally) Netflix, it launched the WWE Network SVoD service in the US in 2014 – way ahead of major entertainment players such as Paramount and Disney – attracting 1 million subscribers in 12 months.
The WWE Network soon rolled out globally and by 2018 had over 2 million subscribers, laying the foundation for leveraging analytics to inform marketing strategies and programming decisions for the company. Although subscriber numbers were healthy, the company had essentially sacrificed their PPV buyrates, so turning a profit was problematic. Thus in 2021, WWE announced that NBC Universal had acquired the exclusive US distribution rights to the WWE Network for around $1 billion and that the service would be folded into the NBCU’s own streaming service, Peacock – earning WWE a huge revenue score, a much wider audience, and relieving them of the pressures of running its own streaming platform. Similar deals followed with Hotstar Disney+ in Indonesia and Binge in Australia.
In May 2023 a merger was announced between WWE and UFC to form TKO, and – following a boom in the WWE product with Paul ‘HHH’ Levesque at the helm of creative – it was revealed that WWE would again be shopping its product around. Major players such as Disney and Apple were rumoured as potentially suitors before the aforementioned, astronomical Netflix deal was announced at the start of 2024.
Whilst a huge library of historical WWE content has already been added to Netflix, the debut of Monday Night Raw – recognised as the longest running episodic TV series in history – will signal the arrival of the entertainment behemoth on the platform (airing at 1am on January 7th in the UK) with a stacked card for the inaugural episode.
Viewers will be treated to a much-anticipated clash between CM Punk and Seth Rollins, as well as Roman Reigns vs Solo Sikoa, Drew McIntyre vs ‘Main Event’ Jey Uso, and Rhea Ripley challenging Liv Morgan for the Women’s World Championship. There will also be a live performance from Travis Scott, as well as the return of John Cena as he begins his 2025 retirement tour. A full preview narrated by Levesque can be viewed here.
A host of surprises are also anticipated for Raw’s Netflix debut as WWE will seek to start their Netflix residency in explosive fashion, leading many to speculate on the return of legendary superstar The Rock.
Ahead of the Netflix premiere, Advanced-Television spoke to a number of WWE superstars about the implications of the game-changing deal, as well as their own Netflix habits.
Piper Niven – who hails from Scotland, so perhaps has a better understanding of the UK broadcasting landscape than her US peers – believes the move to Netflix is hugely beneficial for WWE fans.
“The UK fans really deserve this,” said Niven. “It’s always been expensive and difficult to get wrestling unless you have Sky [or TNT Sports], but now, [with Netflix] they can get everything.”
Montez Ford, one half of the Street Profits tag team, echoed that sentiment, commenting: “Netflix has the most immense variety when it comes to streaming, and that’s the reason why they are the streaming king – and we are so glad to be part of it now. In January, WWE gets added to this library; just millions of hours of content.”
When quizzed on his viewing habits, Ford added: “Oh we binge! Netflix has new stuff coming out like every single day. [Recently] I got wrapped up in watching Love is Blind. My wife loved the whole series, and every time there’s a new episode she’s watching it and watching updates, so bilaterally I’m watching it too! I love Stranger Things as well. And I love Cobra Kai and all the anime.”
Tifffany Stratton (pictured), the current WWE Womens Champion, expressed her penchant for TikTok (“that’s what I usually watch when I’m on a flight”), and also said: “My favourite Netflix show? I like a couple. I like Vampire Diaries and Pretty Little Liars… but if I could have a part in any Netflix show it would be Outer Banks. I need to get on the latest season!”
WWE tag team, Pretty Deadly, consisting of Kit Wilson and Elton Prince, divulged that they are also huge Netflix fans.
“We like to spend out Thursday nights doing this: get in our hotel, put Netflix on and then we’ll just scroll through romcoms and watch all the romcoms together,” said Wilson. “Netflix also has The Great British Baking Show. I would love for Pretty Deadly to join them, maybe for a Christmas Special! Get us in. We’re coming for your Paul Hollywood.”
“I’m a big movie guy! But I watched a new series recently called Nobody Wants This,” offered Prince. “Very good stuff! I love a romance story, That was really good. I’m also huge on Ozark and Money Heist.”
”Travelling is such a big part our life, so when we’re not in a hotel, I love that on Netflix you can download everything to watch on the move. Life saver,” added Wilson.
Chelsea Green, tag team partner of Niven and the current (and first ever) Women’s US Champion, shared her ritual, commenting: “Our recharge station is the couch, bowl of popcorn, all the pets, and Netflix. I’ve been watching Love is Blind and it has me in a chokehold! I’d love to host one of the reality shows.”
Niven chimed in: “But we do like to watch different things. [Green] is a reality TV Queen and I’m a nature documentary fan. But I’m also on like my 10 millionth rewatch of Bojack Horseman. I love it so much. It’s such a comfort.”
Niven concluded by saying she’d love to narrate a David Attenborough style documentary about her tag team partner, switching to an impressive Attenborough impression and whispering: “Here we see the wild Chelsea Green in her natural habitat…”
WWE Raw will stream live on Netflix at 1am on January 7th in the UK.