WWE Raw is coming to Netflix!

[Dale]

STAMFORD, Conn., January 23, 2024 – WWE, part of TKO Group Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: TKO), and Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX) today announced a long-term partnership that will bring WWE’s flagship weekly program – Raw – to the world’s leading entertainment service. This marks a major programming shift as Raw leaves linear television for the first time since its inception 31 years ago.

Beginning in January 2025, Netflix will be the exclusive new home of Raw in the U.S., Canada, U.K. and Latin America, among other territories, with additional countries and regions to be added over time. Likewise, as part of the agreement, Netflix will also become the home for all WWE shows and specials outside the U.S. as available, inclusive of Raw and WWE’s other weekly shows – SmackDown and NXT – as well as the company’s Premium Live Events, including WrestleMania, SummerSlam and 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.”

“We are excited to have WWE Raw, with its huge and passionate multigenerational fan base, on Netflix,” said Netflix Chief Content Officer, Bela Bajaria. “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.”

“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."

With 1,600 episodes to date, Raw is the most iconic show in sports entertainment. Since its debut in 1993, Raw has delivered action, compelling drama and unmatched athleticism – 52 weeks a year. Blending the best of scripted content with unpredictable live entertainment, the three-hour show has helped launch the careers of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, Triple H, John Cena, Roman Reigns, Bianca Belair and Charlotte Flair.

The show is currently the No. 1 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. On social media, WWE has more than one billion followers across its platforms​

 

[Dale]

Netflix will also become the home for all WWE shows and specials outside the U.S. as available, inclusive of Raw and WWE’s other weekly shows – SmackDown and NXT – as well as the company’s Premium Live Events, including WrestleMania, SummerSlam and Royal Rumble​

What does it mean by this part, it has me confused ​

 

[Dale]

The deal 10-year deal is valued at more than $5 billion, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Netflix, which is trying to drive revenue by cutting down on subscription sharing and pushing viewers toward its ad-tier membership, has made few attempts at live programming in its history but has never struck a long-term sports rights deal before this. Adding Raw, which currently airs on USA Network, to its programming lineup will be a boon to the platform.

For TKO, the parent company of WWE, striking a deal with Netflix brings WWE wrestling to more than 250 million global subscribers.

Raw has been the top program on NBCUniversal’s cable network USA, drawing 17.5 million unique viewers per year, the companies said.​

 

[Canadian Dragon]

I gotta say my initial reaction is this is a shittier version of going on Amazon

 

[Chris]

What does it mean by this part, it has me confused ​

It sounds you guys are losing the WWE Network to Netflix like we did Peacock

 

[Chris]

Absolutely insane news tho

 

[Dale]

Literally just cancelled Netflix like a week ago aswell, guess i'll sign back up for this nearer the time since everything is going to be in one place.

 

[King Kota]

Well damn companies really are trying to get you to pay wall everything. I'm honestly not sure how well this goes down

 

[Canadian Dragon]

1.89x increase, so only coming in .11 short of the 2.x increase. huge money.

My concern would be with reach, I thought that Netflix was losing subs the last few years, not gaining any. So I feel this will help Netflix longterm, WWE make their money. But I'm not sure this will do anything to gain more viewers

 

[Chris]

Literally just cancelled Netflix like a week ago aswell, guess i'll sign back up for this nearer the time since everything is going to be in one place.

I hope the geo lock fix that I did for my sister in law's keeps working so I don't need to resubscribe for Raw

 

[Chris]

1.89x increase, so only coming in .11 short of the 2.x increase. huge money.

My concern would be with reach, I thought that Netflix was losing subs the last few years, not gaining any. So I feel this will help Netflix longterm, WWE make their money. But I'm not sure this will do anything to gain more viewers

Same issue i think Amazon would have been too fwiw so if this was more money I'd say it's a better move, but I thought Amazon has more potential for some ad synergy but who knows if it even would have worked out

 

[Chris]

That's probably why they did it too, after the SmackDown deal I think there was a lot of pressure to purely take the best money deal for Raw for appearances and worry about viewership and other changes later

 

[Canadian Dragon]

Same issue i think Amazon would have been too fwiw so if this was more money I'd say it's a better move, but I thought Amazon has more potential for some ad synergy but who knows if it even would have worked out

ad synergy, nfl games and also the fact that most ppl have amazon because they order shit. so you have the potential of ppl being like hmm mb ill check our RAW tonight.

I do think u can make that argument with ppl doomscrolling on netflix and bringing live programming to netflix is obviously a game changer

super interesting news, was not expecting that. I think Netflix may have overpayed to get in on the live sports market. Good for WWE, im curious how the stock will react as it's not quite 2x but it's higher than what ppl were expecting which iirc was around 80% increase

 

[Canadian Dragon]

That's probably why they did it too, after the SmackDown deal I think there was a lot of pressure to purely take the best money deal for Raw for appearances and worry about viewership and other changes later

fully agree, the stock dipped after the SDL deal so there was def pressure to get the most money. its also why they waited to 2024 to announce any deal so they wouldnt get two dips in the stock in the same quarter iirc

 

[King Kota]

This was always bound to happen with the cut the cord idea big tv companies were always going to find a way, to get to you. I also pretty much see this as a bigger chance for more ads on streaming places now. So in the end cut the cord really didn't do shit. I mean hell they get you know to Pay more for less ads too. Greedy af.