WWE Raw to stream exclusively on Netflix beginning January 2025

Originally published at https://www.postwrestling.com/2024/01/23/wwe-raw-to-stream-exclusively-on-netflix-beginning-january-2025/

Beginning in January 2025, Raw is going to stream on Netflix. 

It was formally announced by WWE that beginning in January of 2025, Monday Night Raw is going to stream exclusively on Netflix: 

STAMFORD, Conn., January 23, 2024 – WWE, part of TKO Group Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: TKO), and Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX) today announced a long-term partnership that will bring WWE’s flagship weekly program – Raw – to the world’s leading entertainment service. This marks a major programming shift as Raw leaves linear television for the first time since its inception 31 years ago. 

Beginning in January 2025, Netflix will be the exclusive new home of Raw in the U.S., Canada, U.K. and Latin America, among other territories, with additional countries and regions to be added over time. Likewise, as part of the agreement, Netflix will also become the home for all WWE shows and specials outside the U.S. as available, inclusive of Raw and WWE’s other weekly shows – SmackDown and NXT – as well as the company’s Premium Live Events, including WrestleManiaSummerSlam and Royal Rumble. WWE’s award-winning documentaries, original series and forthcoming projects will also be available on Netflix internationally beginning in 2025. 

“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.”

“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.”

“In its relatively short history, Netflix has engineered a phenomenal track record for storytelling,” said Nick Khan, WWE President. “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.” 

With 1,600 episodes to date, Raw is the most iconic show in sports entertainment. Since its debut in 1993, Raw has delivered action, compelling drama and unmatched athleticism – 52 weeks a year. Blending the best of scripted content with unpredictable live entertainment, the three-hour show has helped launch the careers of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, Triple  H, John Cena, Roman Reigns, Bianca Belair and Charlotte Flair. 

The show is currently the No. 1 show on USA Network, where it brings in 17.5 million unique viewers over the course of the year. One of television’s best performing shows in the 18-49 advertising demographic, Raw trends on X 52 weeks a year while each new episode is airing. On social media, WWE has more than one billion followers across its platforms. 

The media rights for Raw were coming up this year. In October 2024, SmackDown is moving back to USA Network.

This is going to be interesting.
Streaming makes sense for one of the properties. We shall see how it goes!

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Damn, Netflix is the one I was closest to being able to ditch.

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Also, somebody correct me if I’m wrong - but this basically means all programming in Canada for WWE is going to be on Netflix? Essentially the network?

They are up for negotiations with Rogers this year, so who knows with that.

Actually, the answer is here.

No negotiation with Rogers - they’ve made their next deal.

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Also… The numbers feel like not as big an increase as headlines are making it seem.

Yes, it’s a 5B deal for ten year. So 500M a year. But they’ve also given up potential rights increases for TV in UK, Canada, Latin America and other territories for ALL PROGRAMMING for a decade.

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That’s a false narrative.
The Night Agent
The Diplomat
Blue Eyed Samurai
Beef
One Piece
Scott Pilgrim
These all came out in 2023

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Raw + Chill, this will be a fun 2025.

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I haven’t watched anything on Netflix for 2 years at least. Still I pay for it because of my wife and sister in law. Finally can justify the $20/month for myself. Hopefully it’ll be 2 hours.

You think Raw is going back to two hours??
I think the content Genie is out of the bottle. If anything you’re getting more shoulder programming.

Also, I predict Smackdown becomes three hours on USA.

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Maybe two hours if it’s commercial-free. That wouldn’t be much of a change in the amount of content.

Unfortunately, this is what I could see as well. More is more.

This is how I will trick women into watching wrestling with me. Meet em on Tinder, then mix in a little Jinder.

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WWE has always been ahead of the curve on this stuff. Going all in on PPV in the '90s and launching their own network in 2014 were both ahead of their time (WWE Network was probably a bit too early). I’ll trust the people whose job it is that the financials make sense, but I think it’s smart to get in with a streaming service rather than rely on TV (particularly cable) in 2025 and beyond.

And as I said earlier, I will welcome the end of weekly ratings talk.

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For RAW, they do still have SD and to a very lesser extent, NXT

Excited about how they mentioned this will lead to more Netflix quality docs but then again, these could be fluff pieces.

Very interesting. Dumped Netflix years ago. This might pull me back in

No, they’ve sold exclusive rights for ALL content to Netflix in Canada, UK, Latin America and other territories.

Well good luck to WWE, I don’t think this will generate any new viewers though. How big is Netflix in the 50+ viewership?