WWE’s ‘Raw’ is moving to Netflix next year in a major streaming deal worth more than $5 billion
Wrestler Carmella leaps at Bianca Belair, during the WWE Monday Night RAW event, March 6, 2023, in Boston.
WWE’s weekly television show Raw will move to Netflix next year as part of a major streaming deal worth more than $5 billion. The agreement, announced by TKO Group Holdings Inc., which houses WWE and UFC, is for a period of 10 years, with an option for Netflix to extend it for an additional 10 years. The deal also allows Netflix to opt out after the initial five years.
Raw, which has been on the air since 1993 and has amassed an impressive 1,600 episodes, showcases popular wrestlers such as Cody Rhodes, Becky Lynch, Seth Rollins, and Rhea Ripley. The three-hour program currently airs on the USA Network, and its media rights have been highly coveted in recent months. With the return of CM Punk in November, speculation was rife that Raw could end up on various networks or streaming platforms.
We are excited to have WWE Raw, with its huge and passionate multigenerational fan base, on Netflix, stated Bela Bajaria, Chief Content Officer of Netflix.
Beginning in January 2025, Raw will be available on Netflix in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Latin America, and other territories. WWE stated that the move will eventually impact additional countries and regions.
Mark Shapiro, TKO’s President and COO, described the deal as transformative, stating, 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.
Furthermore, WWE announced that its documentaries, original series, and future projects will be accessible on Netflix internationally starting in 2025.
This development follows the September announcement by World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. that Friday Night Smackdown would be making the move from Fox to the USA Network in 2024. The move was part of a new five-year domestic media rights partnership with NBCUniversal. As part of the deal, WWE will produce four prime-time specials per year that will air on NBC, beginning in the 2024/2025 season. This marks the first time WWE will air in prime time on the network.
In an interview on CNBC, TKO CEO Ariel Emanuel emphasized that streaming platforms are becoming an additional option alongside traditional television and cable networks. Referring to the Raw deal with Netflix, he stated, This is the streaming play. For us, it’s the next step.
In another major announcement, WWE revealed that it has reached a deal with Dwayne The Rock Johnson granting him the rights to his nickname. The renowned actor and former wrestler will also join the board of TKO Group.
Following the news, shares of TKO Group surged over 19% in early trading.
As WWE’s Raw prepares to make its highly-anticipated move to Netflix, fans around the world can look forward to a new era of wrestling entertainment brought directly to their screens. With the explosive growth of streaming services, this groundbreaking deal highlights the ongoing evolution of the media landscape and cements WWE’s position as a global powerhouse in sports entertainment.
