Watching your favorite wrestlers is about to become a whole lot easier. Starting January 2025, the WWE Raw wrestling program will officially enter a long-term partnership with Netflix. 31 years of mastered television will still provide its storylines and fan-favorite drama; it will simply change the location of its viewing. The weekly show will be available in the US, Canada, UK, and Latin America. It will expand over time, states Netflix.
What’s Going To Netflix Besides WWE’s Raw?
Though Raw was originally made for linear television, this will be a complete shift to streaming with the world’s leading entertainment service. And it’s not just Raw that’s coming to Netflix. The $5 billion deal includes additional shows like WrestleMania, SummerSlam, and Royal Rumble. Moreover, shows like WWE original series and award-winning documentaries, along with future projects still in the works, will be available over the duration of the 10-year deal. All you need is a Netflix subscription to view.
This transition is nothing short of major. Since 1993, Raw has been delivering top-notch content, with wrestlers like Rick Flair and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, to Becky Lynch and the Usos. Depending on how well the transition goes, WWE can opt to continue their Netflix agreement for another ten years, as stated in a TKO filing of the deal on January 23.
WWE’s Raw: The Official Word
Mark Shapiro, TKO President and COO, was thrilled about the deal. “This deal is transformative. 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. 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.” said Bela Bajaria, the Netflix Chief Content Officer.
What About The other WWE Shows?
As for the other WWE programs, such as SmackDown, NXT, and AEW, at least two have moved to separate channels as well. SmackDown can be found on USA Network starting late this year, while NXT will be available through The CW. It seems that WWE will have a finger in every pie when it comes to the future of wrestling. AEW is awaiting its renegotiation for media rights in 2024. Tony Khan, the President of All Elite Wrestling, had only encouraging things to say on the future of the Netflix deal and what it could potentially mean for AEW.
“Absolutely. We’re excited to get big media rights renewals in the wrestling business. That’s great to see for everybody. We’re in a big contract year, too, and I think AEW is going to get big media rights. Right now, we have a great partnership on TBS and TNT that I want to continue for a long time. We’ve been on since 2019, it’s five years now we’re going on TBS and TNT, and it’s been great and I want to keep it going because there is a great tradition of wrestling on those channels.” Said Khan on Payne & Pendergast.
In the meantime, you can still find WWE’s Raw on its current channel, USA Network. You can also stream it through various other streaming channels. Get up to date with WWE news here.
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