After seeing a “great success” with sports programming, Netflix announced its major venture into live sports. The streaming giant has struck a $5-billion deal with WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) to stream its flagship weekly live pro wrestling show, Monday Night Raw, exclusively beginning in January 2025. This will mark the first time in 31 years that Raw will leave the linear television network.
According to Variety, Netflix and WWE’s deal is valued at $500 million a year and will run for 10 years. However, the streamer has the option to withdraw from the agreement after the first five years and extend for an additional 10 years. Compared to WWE’s deal with NBCUniversal, which sources said is about $250 million to $260 million a year, its contract with Netflix is evidently much bigger.
That said, Netflix Chief Content Officer Bela Bajaria is excited to see WWE’s famous wrestlers dominate the service. Though it already has a huge fan base, it can now reach a much wider audience.
He said:
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.
When will WWE Monday Night Raw be released on Netflix?
Netflix will be the exclusive new home of WWE’s Monday Night Raw. Though its official release date is yet to be revealed, it will start streaming on the service in January 2025. It can be streamed in the U.S., Canada, U.K., and Latin America, among other territories. More countries and regions will be added over time.
Aside from Raw, Netflix will also feature all WWE shows and specials outside the U.S. as available, like its other weekly shows, SmackDown and NXT, and Premium Live Events, such as WrestleMania, SummerSlam, and Royal Rumble. In addition, there will be documentaries, original series, and other upcoming projects.
WWE’s deal with NBCUniversal will end in October 2024. As it will stop airing Monday Night Raw on USA Network on the said date, it remains to be seen when it will be seen next before it lands on Netflix.
What is WWE Monday Night Raw?
WWE’s Monday Night Raw has already become iconic in its own right. Since debuting in 1993, it has released 1,600 episodes to date. By featuring intense action, compelling drama, and incredible athleticism, it has launched the careers of some of the famous stars today, like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, John Cena, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, and Triple H, to name a few.
It’s the number one show on USA Network, bringing in 17.5 million unique viewers for about a year, and one of the company’s two flagship shows, alongside Friday Night SmackDown. Hence, it’s expected to be another big hit when it finally hits Netflix.
With Netflix’s latest venture into live programming after The Netflix Cup, this will be a welcoming addition to its live broadcast. And considering WWE’s Monday Night Raw has been on the air for over three decades, this will be another big move for the streamer.
