In a groundbreaking move, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is set to take its flagship show, Monday Night Raw, to Netflix starting in 2025. This marks a significant departure from its traditional airing on cable TV, breaking a 31-year streak. Raw has had its share of homes over the years, including the USA Network, TNN, Spike TV, and SciFi/Syfy.
Netflix’s entry into sports programming is making waves, and the deal is nothing short of historic. Reportedly spanning over 10 years and exceeding $5 billion, it dwarfs comparable agreements. To put it into perspective, Amazon spent $1.2 billion for Thursday Night Football, while Apple invested $250 million for MLS games and $85 million for exclusive MLB games, according to Forbes.
The streaming experience of Raw will initially be available in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., and Latin America, with plans to expand to other countries and regions in the future. Notably, all WWE shows outside the U.S. will be exclusively streamed on Netflix.
Mark Shapiro, TKO President and COO, expressed the transformative nature of this deal, emphasizing the synergy between the unmissable WWE product and Netflix’s unparalleled global reach. The partnership promises significant and predictable economics for years to come, reshaping the media landscape and bringing the allure of weekly live appointment viewing to Netflix.
Since its debut on the USA Network on January 11, 1993, Raw has become a cultural phenomenon, consistently attracting 17.5 million unique viewers throughout the year and securing its position as the network’s top show. As the wrestling giant leaps into the digital realm, the Netflix-WWE collaboration is poised to redefine sports entertainment in the streaming era.
