The WWE and Netflix announced today that the longtime flagship program, Monday Night Raw will begin streaming on Netflix as part of a ten-year contract starting in 2025. The sports entertainment company has been moving the rights for its programming around as contracts wrap up recently announcing that its Friday show Smackdown would be moving to USA Network while its Tuesday Show NXT would make a jump to the CW. This final move though is a monumental change taking the program, which has always been part of Lineer TV and making it a streaming-only option.
The move will also allow Netflix to develop TV shows and movies based on The WWE ‘s Intellectual Property. One has to wonder if the long-languishing Hulk Hogan biopic will finally happen. The WWE is rich with possibilities for the development of characters from reality TV, which has already seen success to an interactive adventure staring The Undertaker and Tag Team The New Day.
The WWE has been a strong believer in the power of streaming to reach its audience. 10 years ago the sports entertainment company launched the WWE Network to a skeptical marketplace making it the home of live premium events and replacing the profitable PPV model with a service that cost viewers $9.99 per month. It changed the game for fans who previously would have to shell out $50.00 or more for just one event. While the WWE did not stay with the owned and operated model in the US, later dealing the rights to WWE content to Peacock, the promotion did prove through increased profits and numerous other measurements that putting its content out on streaming platforms increased rather than decreased engagement.
International streaming changes are coming as well
After the WWE partnered with Peacock in the US it still maintained the WWE Network outside the US keeping it as the home of the premium live events. That will change once the Netflix deal goes into effect. Starting in 2025 all international streams of WWE content will also be found on Netflix.
In its relatively short history, Netflix has engineered a phenomenal track record for storytelling,” said WWE president Nick Khan. “We believe Netflix, as one of the world’s leading entertainment brands, is the ideal long-term home for Raw’s live, loyal, and ever-growing fan base.”
When the WWE launched the WWE Network it did so with an eye to the changing marketplace in the TV viewing world and a bet that it would get enough of its fans to sign up for the new service. It worked. Now paired with the most popular streaming service in the world the WWE is betting that its audience already has Netflix or will sign up for it. The streamer is likely hoping that and new customers will take them up on the ad-supported tier since viewers of Raw have been watching with advertisements since it launched.
The deal is worth 5 billion dollars for TKO
It’s still not enough of a reason for me to restart my subscription. Everyone thinks Netflix is the greatest thing. I had it on and off for years to watch a movie or series til the series ends then I cancel. I haven’t started my subscription in 2 yrs.
It will be very interesting to see how this plays out. Because both companies will be able to see if people subscribe to watch it and get real time viewing numbers. You know WWE will promote the hell out of it