WWE – part of TKO Group Holdings – and Netflix today announced a long-term deal that will bring the WWE’s weekly show Raw to the streaming platform. For the WWE, this marks a major shift, as the flagship product leaves linear television for the very first time since its inception 31yrs ago. For Netflix, it’s a bold step into the realms of both sports entertainment and live streaming more generally, through what the Guardian says is a significant ‘$5bn bet’.
Beginning in January 2025, Netflix will be the exclusive new home of Raw in the US, Canada, the UK and Latin America, among other territories, with additional countries and regions to be added over time.
Additionally, the platform will also become home to all WWE shows and specials outside the US as available, inclusive of SmackDown and NXT, as well as the company’s Premium Live Events, including WrestleMania, SummerSlam and the Royal Rumble. WWE’s award-winning 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.”
Netflix Chief Content Officer, Bela Bajaria, added: “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.”
Raw is currently the number one show on USA Network, where it brings in 17.5 million unique viewers over the course of the year. One of television’s best performing shows in the 18-49 advertising demographic, Raw trends on X 52 weeks a year while each new episode is airing. Across all of social media, WWE has more than one billion followers across its platforms.