The most popular weekly show of pro wrestling WWE Raw, will now be available on Netflix starting next year, as per the deal of more than $5 billion. The program used to be broadcast worldwide on TV for 31 years, until now, when WWE has signed a long-term deal with Netflix.
The bosses of TKO, the parent form of WWE, have said that they believe Netflix is the largest entertainment brand, and they hope it will help them bring in more viewers. This decision will be in action for the first time in the USA, Canada, the UK, and Latin America.
Netflix signs a $5 billion deal with WWE Raw
WWE Raw announced the big step they have taken On Tuesday. It came out that their live events will be telecasted on Netflix after they signed a more than $5 billion deal with Netflix exclusively, making it the broadcasting medium of World Wrestling Entertainment’s Raw from January 2025.
This exclusive deal has been made for a long-term relationship of 10 years, which will bring Raw to the streaming platform for audiences of the US, Canada, Britain, and Latin America first, followed by other countries.
This deal has also sent shares of TKO Group Holdings, the parent firm of WWE, which was formed when WWE had merged with UFC, up to 21% in early trading.
For the last 31 years, the program WWE Raw has been broadcasting worldwide on TV, which is usually broadcast live and has aired 1600 episodes since its first launch. According to the claims of Bosse, it brings 17.5 million views each week in the US and also about 1 billion followers of WWE across various social media platforms.
According to this deal, the streaming pioneer can extend this deal for another ten years or can even abolish it after the initial five years.
The company has mentioned it would also include pay-per-view specials like WrestleMania, SummerSlam, and Royal Rumble. Clarification by Netflix stays on the stand whether the pay-per-view events will be included in the price of a standard subscription to the streaming platform.
This is not the first time that Netflix has collaborated for a live event, as it has been doing experiments since last year, like the standard special with comedian Chris Rock: Selective Outrage.
Netflix has also played a part in sports-related programming such as a racing documentary series, Drive to Survive, a documentary series, and Full Swing, a behind-the-scenes golf documentary series. In October, Netflix premiered the first sports event, The Netflix Cup, which included athletes from Drive to Survive and Full Swing.
Following all this news, it also came out that the superstar wrestler and actor Dwayne Johnson has joined TKO as a director, and this arrangement has given him the ownership rights to the Rock trademark, the in-ring name that remained with him in the film industry as well.
In a statement, Rock said, “Being on the TKO Board of Directors and taking full ownership of my name, ‘The Rock’, is not only unprecedented but incredibly inspiring, as my crazy life is coming full circle.” After his surprise appearance on Raw last month, there are interpretations of The Rock making a comeback to the wrestling world.
Following the evolution signal given by Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos, it was hinted by the third-quarter investor note of the company that there might be more to come as Netflix was in the sports business focused on the drama of sports but not live games.
In a third-quarter note, the company said, “As we work to develop the best programming mix for our members, we’re also having great success with our sports shoulder programming, making Netflix the go-to place for anyone excited by the drama of sport.”
