Netflix has recently struck a historic deal to obtain WWE’s Monday Night Raw, which is one of the vital components of television. The subscription streaming service Netflix has openly stated for years that it is not that interested in chasing sports right, but this has reportedly changed.
NEWS: Netflix has reached a 10-year deal to stream WWE Raw for more than $5 BILLION.
The streaming platform is going ALL IN on live sports and entertainment. pic.twitter.com/KSlgU8Od8Y
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) January 23, 2024
According to Front Sports Office, “NEWS: Netflix has reached a 10-year deal to stream WWE Raw for more than $5 BILLION. The streaming platform is going ALL IN on live sports and entertainment.”
Commencing in January 2025, the streaming service will include countries like the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Latin America. After some time other counties will be included as well. The deal stated is for ten years and is worth more than $5 billion, as per the Deadline.
Netflix will now feature every WWE programme and special shows that are happening outside the country as well. This includes weekly shows such as RAW, NXT and SmackDown. The streaming services will also include SummerSlam, Royal Rumble, and WrestleMania.
Other than that, it will also feature documentaries about WWE, other projects, and original series as well. The streaming service will exclusively provide great shows to the fans and its availability will be another prominent mark of its success with the new inclusion.
The acquisition of rights occurred after Endeavor’s UFC and the WWE combined to form the new public holding, TKO Group Holdings. Mark Shapiro, TKO President and COO, shared regarding the deal, “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.”
Bela Bajaria, a businesswoman and media executive who is now the Chief Content Officer of Netflix, also expressed, “We are excited to have WWE Raw, with its huge and passionate multigenerational fan base, on Netflix. 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.”
