The WWE flagship program, Monday Night Raw, will have a new home starting next year. The deal between WWE and Netflix is reportedly a 10-year deal worth more than $5 billion. Both companies announced the deal this morning.
In addition to streaming Monday Night Raw, Netflix will also have the streaming rights to WWE shows and specials outside the U.S. including Friday Night Smackdown, NXT and Premium Live Events. Netflix has been attempting to get into the sports industry for quite some time. They have been interested in things such as the NBA In-Season Tournament and they have created several documentaries.
For the majority of its existence, Raw has been featured on USA. Though, they had a brief stint (2000-2005) on TNN.
“In its relatively short history, Netflix has engineered a phenomenal track record for storytelling,” said WWE president Nick Khan. “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.”
The WWE has already begun switching their PLEs to streaming services. The monthly events have been on Peacock, part of NBC Universal, USA Network’s parent company. So it’s likely that the WWE may look to move all PLEs. Making a move to Netflix will be a big hit, not only would fans be able to watch Raw live.
“This is a super game changer,” said TKO President and Chief Operating Officer Mark Shapiro in an interview. “When you look back at the chapters of sports media history, new chapters are driven by extraordinary new paradigms. ESPN and Turner bringing NFL to cable in 1987. Rupert Murdoch bringing football to Fox in 1994. When new histories are written, Raw on Netflix will be such a chapter starter.”
In 2023, Former WWE Owner and Chairman of the Board returned to sell the company. It was one of the hottest topics at the beginning of 2023. There were false reports about a sale to a Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund. Just one day after Wrestlemania 39, news broke that the WWE had been sold to Endeavor, the parent company of UFC.
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