WWE’s Monday Night Raw is headed to Netflix after WWE struck a deal that will see its live pro-wrestling show air exclusively on the streamer starting January 2025.
It’s estimated the deal is worth at least $400million per year, effectively double what WWE’s current five-year deal with NBCUniversal is, at approximately $250-260million per year.
The current deal sees Raw air on the USA Network, which it will continue to do until October 2024. It remains unclear exactly where Raw will be broadcast from until it arrives on Netflix. When it does, the streamer will air the flagship weekly programme across the US, UK, Canada and Latin America, with more countries expected to be added.
Netflix will house all WWE shows outside the US, including SmackDown and NXT, annual live events like Wrestlemania, SummerSlam, and the Royal Rumble, and a host of original series and documentaries.
Nick Khan, WWE president, said: “In its relatively short history, Netflix has engineered a phenomenal track record for storytelling,” adding: “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.”
Bela Bajaria, the chief content officer at Netflix, echoed the enthusiasm, saying: “We are excited to have WWE Raw, with its huge and passionate multigenerational fan base, on Netflix.”
Bajara mentioned that by combining the reach of the two organisations, they’d be able to deliver more “joy and value” to audiences worldwide. Bajara said: “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.”
