Netflix has spent years shying away from pursuing sports rights, but in a landmark deal with WWE, the streaming giant will bring RAW to its platform starting in January 2025.
That show has long called the USA Network home, but after the cable platform picked up SmackDown last year, the expectation was that RAW might head elsewhere. TNT, Disney+, and Prime Video have all been rumoured, but Deadline confirms this $5+ billion deal will keep RAW on Netflix for a decade.
The streamer will initially be the exclusive home of RAW in the U.S., Canada, the UK, and Latin America before other territories are added over time.
However, this isn't the only big change; outside of the U.S., Netflix will be the home of all WWE's weekly shows, including SmackDown and NXT. It will also stream all the company's PLEs, including the Royal Rumble, WrestleMania, SummerSlam, and Survivor Series, along with documentaries, original series, and any other upcoming projects.
For the time being, Peacock will retain the domestic rights to those non-RAW WWE events.
"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."
Bela Bajaria, Netflix's Chief Content Officer, is said to have been there for WWE's dominance during her run as an executive at Universal Television. She says, "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."
WWE President Nick Khan adds, "In its relatively short history, Netflix has engineered a phenomenal track record for storytelling. 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."
How do you feel about RAW heading to Netflix?