WWE’s longest-running episodic television show in history is headed to Netflix. The sports entertainment giant has announced a deal with Netflix that will send the live wrestling show to the streaming platform in 2025.
The deal ends a three-decade run for Raw on linear television in a deal that is expected to pay the WWE $400 million a year over a five-year run. WWE is currently airing on USA network, under the NBCUniversal umbrella, in a deal that brings in $250-260 million per year.
WWE’s current showing on USA will end in Oct. 2024. A host for the program between October and January has not been announced.
“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.”
“This deal is transformative,” added Mark Shapiro, president and COO of WWE parent company TKO. “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.”
According to Variety, WWE recently sold the rights for Smackdown to NBCUniversal and USA network in a five-year, $1.4 billion deal. NXT will move to the CW at $20-25 million yearly at the five-year mark.
The post WWE’s ‘Monday Night Raw’ to Move to Netflix in 2025 first appeared on The Source.
The post WWE’s ‘Monday Night Raw’ to Move to Netflix in 2025 appeared first on The Source.