Starting in January 2025, WWE's flagship program, Monday Night RAW, will make the groundbreaking move of moving to the industry-leading streaming platform, Netflix.
This deal, reportedly valued at a staggering $5 billion over ten years, places the streaming platform at the forefront of streaming live sports entertainment, a domain traditionally dominated by network and cable television.
Netflix's acquisition of RAW is part of the company's broader strategy to diversify and enhance its content offerings. This move brings the high-energy action of WWE to a wider global audience but also signals a new era in the distribution of live sports content. With RAW airing exclusively in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., and Latin America on Netflix, and plans to expand into other territories later on, the reach of WWE's premier show is set to grow exponentially.
The deal's financial structure is noteworthy, with Netflix agreeing to pay WWE $500 million per year, which is double the revenue that WWE currently generates from its deal with NBCUniversal. This significant financial investment emphasizes the value placed on live sports programming in the streaming era. Additionally, Netflix has the option to either extend the contract for another ten years or opt out after five years.
Under this new partnership, outside the United States, Netflix will also become the home for other WWE shows such as SmackDown and NXT, as well as premium live events including WrestleMania and Royal Rumble. This comprehensive coverage ensures that fans around the world will have unprecedented access to WWE's full slate of programming.
