Long-term deal brought weekly live sports to OTT

WWE and Netflix signed up together to cast the weekly games on the OTT platform

WWE and Netflix have announced a groundbreaking long-term partnership, signifying a significant shift in programming as WWE's flagship weekly program, Raw, makes its departure from linear television for the first time in its 31-year history. Under the agreement, starting from January 2025, Netflix will exclusively host Raw in the U.S., Canada, U.K., Latin America, and eventually in additional territories. This deal extends beyond Raw, as Netflix becomes the exclusive international platform for all WWE shows and specials, including SmackDown and NXT, as well as the renowned Premium Live Events such as WrestleMania, SummerSlam, and Royal Rumble.

The partnership expands further to encompass WWE's award-winning documentaries, original series, and upcoming projects, all of which will be available on Netflix internationally from 2025. Mark Shapiro, TKO President and COO, hailed the deal as transformative, merging the unmissable WWE content with Netflix's unparalleled global reach, ensuring stable and substantial economic benefits for years to come. Bela Bajaria, Netflix Chief Content Officer, expressed excitement about welcoming WWE Raw, highlighting the program's massive multigenerational fan base. Bajaria emphasized the joint potential to deliver enhanced joy and value to audiences by combining Netflix's reach, recommendations, and fandom with the captivating world of WWE, renowned for its engaging characters, storytelling, and year-round live action.