The deal comes as a massive departure forWWE– and holding company TKO – as it will see Raw’s 31-year run on linear television come to an end as it moves to the streaming platform.
In perhaps even bigger news, especially for non-Americans,Netflixwill broadcast the rest of WWE’s shows and PPVS outside of the United States. That means, as well as Raw, the other weekly shows of Smackdown and NXT, premium live events like Wrestlemania, Royal Rumble and SumerSlam plus additional documentaries and series will all be available in one place internationally.
What has been said
“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.”
Nick Khan, WWE President, said: “We believe Netflix, as one of the world’s leading entertainment brands, is the ideal long-term home forRaw’s live, loyal, and ever-growing fan base.”
“We are excited to have WWERaw, 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.Rawis 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.”
Dan Murphy is a freelance senior sports writer at Dexerto. After graduating from the University of Sheffield, Dan spent five years at the Manchester Evening News covering the city’s two juggernaut clubs. He also has bylines for FourFourTwo, The Blizzard, Liverpool Echo, Newcastle Chronicle and countless more. As well as football, Dan is a passionate pro wrestling fans and also loves darts, cricket and combat sports. You can email him here: dan.murphy@dexerto.com
