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On Tuesday morning, Netflix and WWE announced a blockbuster deal that will have WWE, a part of TKO Group Holdings, Inc., ditching cable television in favor of live streaming.
WWE Monday Night Raw will be making the move to Netflix beginning in January 2025.
The move comes after a staggering 10-year, $5 billion deal.
Netflix will be the exclusive new home of Raw in the U.S., Canada, U.K. and Latin America to start, with other territories, countries, and regions being added over time.
“We are excited to have WWE Raw, with its huge and passionate multigenerational fan base, on Netflix,” said Netflix Chief Content Officer Bela Bajaria in a statement.
“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.”
WWE Raw is getting in the ring with Netflix!
Starting in January 2025, Netflix will exclusively stream WWE Raw in the US, Canada, UK, & Latin America. Every single week, all year long. https://t.co/4hiJ2bBpQG pic.twitter.com/i7lz1k80YL
— Netflix (@netflix) January 23, 2024
Mark Shapiro, TKO President and COO, added: “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.”
Additional WWE programming — including its award-winning documentaries, original series, and upcoming projects — will be added beginning in 2025.
“In its relatively short history, Netflix has engineered a phenomenal track record for storytelling,” said Nick Khan, WWE President. “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.”
It’s a major move for Netflix when it comes to its live sports and entertainment programming. Committing $5 billion for WWE Raw shows that the streaming platform is serious about becoming a major player in the space.
As the rights to other sports leagues and popular franchises become available, Netflix could make even more splashes.
The other streaming services have officially been put on notice.
