WWE is looking at doing big business in 2024, and their upcoming television deals will bring in a ton of revenue. There was a lot of speculation about where RAW would go after its deal with USA Network expired, but now we have an answer as RAW will be shifting to Netflix in 2025.
WWE took to its Corporate website and revealed the company and Netflix have announced a groundbreaking long-term partnership, shifting WWE’s flagship weekly program RAW to the global streaming service. Starting in January 2025, Netflix will exclusively host Raw in the U.S., Canada, U.K., and Latin America, with expansion to additional territories over time.
The deal extends to all WWE shows and specials outside the U.S., including SmackDown, NXT, and Premium Live Events like WrestleMania.
Mark Shapiro, TKO President and COO, emphasized the transformative nature of the partnership, stating that it combines WWE’s can’t-miss product with Netflix’s global reach, securing significant and predictable economics for years to come.
“This deal is transformative,” said Mark Shapiro, TKO President and COO. “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.”
Netflix Chief Content Officer, Bela Bajaria, expressed excitement about bringing WWE Raw to Netflix, aiming to deliver more joy and value to both WWE and Netflix audiences.
‘‘We are excited to have WWE Raw, with its huge and passionate multigenerational fan base, on Netflix,” said Netflix Chief Content Officer, Bela Bajaria. “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.”
With 1,600 episodes to date, it has been a cornerstone of sports entertainment since its debut in 1993, featuring action, drama, and athleticism throughout the year. The show, currently the No. 1 on USA Network, draws 17.5 million unique viewers annually and performs strongly in the 18-49 demographic.
The move to Netflix marks a significant shift in the media landscape, bringing weekly live sports entertainment to a global streaming platform. We will have to wait and see how WWE’s presentation will change after its shift to Netflix in 2025. Keep checking back to Ringside News as more information on this shift becomes available.
What do you think of RAW moving to Netflix? Do you feel such a change will be a positive one for WWE? Sound off in the comments section below!