How Netflix’s Deal with WWE Will Transform Wrestling League Internationally
The WWE Network streaming service will shutter at the end of 2024, as all of its content will move to Netflix outside the United States.
The WWE is officially coming to the world’s largest streaming service. Earlier this week, Netflix and the WWE agreed to an international deal that will see “Monday Night Raw” air live on Netflix every week for the next decade in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and other territories — although, the “Monday Night” part of the name might need to be changed. Outside the U.S., the deal also means that WWE titles like “SmackDown,” “NXT” and live premium events will also move to Netflix, but where does that leave the on-demand WWE Network?
- WWE Network is primarily responsible for distributing most WWE programming in territories outside the United States.
- Reports indicate WWE Network will close down at the end of 2024, as all of its programming is set to migrate to Netflix internationally.
- In the U.S., WWE Network’s content will continue to be found on Peacock.
Why Netflix/WWE Deal Might Be a Bigger Disruption Outside the United States
World Wrestling Entertainment currently uses the WWE Network to house a vast majority of its weekly shows and premium live events outside the U.S. When Netflix gains the rights to WWE content starting in 2025, the deal will encompass the programming now found on WWE Network, leaving little need for the service once the transition happens.
Cultaholic cites a report from Wrestling Observer Radio which states that this will lead to WWE Network closing its virtual doors at the end of 2024. Wrestling Observer Network’s Dave Meltzer — a longtime pro wrestling insider — says that Netflix will be the sole source of that content after 2024, though it’s unclear if Netflix will be carrying over all the archival content that is currently available on the WWE Network internationally.
WWE Network was created in 2014, as a way to offer wrestling fans their favorite wrestling shows, pay-per-views, and archives in one place for $9.99 per month without having to track them down on all of the cable channels that WWE content could be found on at the time. Fans in the U.K. will also be affected by all the new changes, as the WWE’s deal with TNT Sports there is also believed to expire in January 2025.
Does the Shut Down of WWE Network Affect U.S. Fans?
WWE fans in the United States will still want to keep their Peacock subscription to watch events like this weekend’s “Royal Rumble,” “SmackDown” and other WWE shows. All of the content that streams internationally on WWE Network is available domestically on Peacock, and will continue to be (except, of course, “Raw,”) through at least 2026.
The deal raises plenty of other questions for wrestling fans living in the United States, however. When WWE was reportedly considering a deal to move “Raw” to a Disney-owned network, speculation arose that it might move the show from Monday nights to avoid conflicting with “Monday Night Football.” Will Netflix try to make the same shift for the same reason?
On the Netflix side of the equation, it’s fair to speculate what comes next now that the streamer has finally embraced a regular, live event in the sports entertainment category. There are a ton of sports that Netflix could pursue with its deep pockets, but will it make any other big moves in the near future?
If it does, we at The Streamable will be there to cover it with informed opinions and expert analysis. The deal between Netflix and the WWE to bring “Raw” to the streamer will be transformative, especially for the WWE Network, which will reportedly shut down at the end of this year once its content moves to Netflix internationally.
Netflix
Netflix is a subscription video streaming service that includes on-demand access to 3,000+ movies, 2,000+ TV Shows, and Netflix Originals like Stranger Things, Squid Game, The Crown, Tiger King, and Bridgerton. They are constantly adding new shows and movies. Some of their Academy Award-winning exclusives include Roma, Marriage Story, Mank, and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.