Netflix buys streaming rights for WWE Raw - 10 Year Contract

System

This discussion was created from comments split from: Wrestling News & Rumours Thread ***NO CHAT***.

B.A._Baracus

https://variety.com/2024/tv/news/netflix-wwe-monday-night-raw-deal-january-2025-1235882820/

Who would have thought?

Lord TSC

Wow, that's huge.

5 billion for a 10 year contract. That's massive.

Kind of the end of the rating wars too, actually, cause Netflix tend to hold those figures close to their chest.

cena

Yes. I can start watching raw again. I haven't watched since it used to be on sky sports. I still watch the main ppv

Lord TSC

"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 WrestleMania, SummerSlam and Royal Rumble"

CastorTroy

So not just Raw. Smackdown and NXT as well outside the US.

Will they stream it live or will it just be added later?

DM_7

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121659173#Comment_121659173

That is big. Not just in terms of WWE but Netflix must have big live streaming plans in general.

Itssoeasy

Jesus. The money is huge but it’s good I suppose that we wont have to use Netflix and BT sports here. I’m happy that once sky don’t have their hands on it. That has always been my worry but it seems that it won’t happen now.

El Gato De Negocios

I wonder will the back catalogue be added eventually too, it's a massive library and Netflix loves having alot of ready made content.

Necro

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121659334#Comment_121659334

That's what I was wondering myself as it kind of makes our version of the Network (even more) defunct with the PLEs and NXT moving there from 2025

El Gato De Negocios

I always found the network to be quite janky so happy to see it move to a stable platform like netflix, I already have a netflix sub so it won't cost me much more but I'd assume there will be some kind of price bump in the sub price. Wonder will they have it tiered eg an existing NF sub can access the content for an extra couple of quid a month or you can access wrestling content only for cheaper than a standard NF sub.

Loughc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121659196#Comment_121659196

From the press release,

Long-Term Deal Brings Weekly Live Sports Entertainment to Netflix

J. Marston

How do adverts and PPVs work now?

DM_7

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121659397#Comment_121659397

I expect Netflix will want to add more than Wrestling content and live streaming before adjusting price plans. They shad planned apend of c17billion on content for 2024 year as it is so this deal is around 3% of its content budget.

It is possible they will be reducing spend on some other content.

They reported having a billion extra in unplanned cash during the hollywood strikes. Those strikes and delays, with WWE still going ahead, may be another reason they want to look at WWE like content that is consistent as well as its huge catalogue.

PTH2009

So is this the end of the network as we know it ?

Officer999

Brilliant news I must say

Agent Coulson

So will RAW go back to 2 hours now there is now need for ads.

Or is there where Netflix ad based subscriptions come into play so RAW stays 3 hours with ad breaks,.

Will USA put Smackdown up against RAW on a Monday night on TV.

Furious-Red

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121659980#Comment_121659980

I suppose they could do picture and picture but with Netflix ads on shows coming up etc?

Agent Coulson

I guess we will also get the watered down Vince Netflix doc now.

They won't want to taint the product they are paying billions for.

Agent Coulson

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121659994#Comment_121659994

I don't know how Netflix do ads but Hulu, MAX, Paramount, Disney etc do ad breaks during movies and series an there ad tiers.

The Ayatolla

So presume Raw, SD and NXT are gone off BT/TNT (NXT already gone?) and it'll all be live / on-demand via Netflix?

That's the job. Use Netflix via the cheap Turkey route and share with family so should come in handy.

Itssoeasy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121660027#Comment_121660027

That’s what I took it to mean that is how it will be here next year, and no 30 day wait like there is now.

riffmongous

Does anyone else have the feeling that Netflix doesn't have much worth watching anymore? I barely ever use it nowadays compared to Disney, and if I do I just end up rewatching the same old handful of shows and movies I always do.

So getting all that WWE content is a good get for Netflix in that regard imo, but at that price though? Seems quite expensive

Agent Coulson

Netflix has the option to cancel the 10-year deal with WWE after just 5 years, and has the option to extend the deal for an additional 10 years.

So it will either be a 5 year deal or a 20 year deal.

Furious-Red

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121660296#Comment_121660296

Yea I'm the same, I very rarely use Netflix nowadays.

kippy

Time to sell the Netflix shares. This deal is lunacy.

riffmongous

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121660443#Comment_121660443

20 years feels an incredibly long timeframe for something like this.

J. Marston

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121660296#Comment_121660296

Netflix's best days are long gone. I don't know why I keep it. Maybe for a few comfort shows like It's Always Sunny and in fairness their animated stuff is very good like Arcane and Blue Eye Samurai.

But I remember when they regularly had maybe half a dozen shows you'd want to watch. Nowadays, nothing takes my fancy on there.

Apple TV is very good though. Some great shows on there, especially for sci-fi stuff.

Itssoeasy

Well the TKO stock has shot up on the announcement of the deal. According to yahoo finance it may break one day record set in December, 1999. It’s getting reported all over the place.

Lord TSC

Yeah, Netflix has the least amount of stuff that I’d watch naturally.

Disney and Amazon, I pretty much keep going all the time, cause a month rarely goes by I don’t get my worth out of it.

Agent Coulson

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121660568#Comment_121660568

It's a very clever clause by Netflix because if after 5 years it isn't hitting the numbers they want they can get out and if it is hitting or exceeding the numbers they want they can use that option and TKO cannot use other companies to bid against Netflix to get a bigger offer.

JP Liz V1

Will VM lose their highlights shows?

The White Wolf

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121660296#Comment_121660296

There's a lull definitely on content but I wouldn't put that on just Netflix, but for the prices they charge I'd expect more.

I have Disney and Prime, but I feel they're prices are just about OK for what they're delivering.

It's fascinating that Netflix swooped in on this, as WB/Max seemed to be the ones getting crap for removing original content in favour of more reality based programming, yet they haven't done any deals close to this. Netflix have just changed the game as a whole for streaming out of nowhere.

The Ayatolla

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121660737#Comment_121660737

I wouldn’t think so. WWE has those in various markets and it’s also a week behind, so it’s pretty much an advertising tactic.

ShagNastii

Seems like a really weird fit with Netflix.

I can see why they're spending the money. Only yesterday I was looking at WWEs 99million subscribers on YT.

With it's viewership worldwide the WWE legitimately has to be up there with the Premier League. It will only get bigger.

ShagNastii

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121660010#Comment_121660010

Excuse the double post.

Unfortunately this will absolutely be the case. Its the one thing I would pay hundreds for. A solid "worts n all" Netflix series on Vince.

Arguably one of the biggest people on pop culture history and he's still a bit of an enigma.

Blue_Dabadee

Seems like a good deal, but I am at a stage where I think the best way to keep up with the product is through clips on their YouTube channel.

Even lately, they have been very good at uploading segments in full length like The Rock return from a few weeks ago.

El Gato De Negocios

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121661078#Comment_121661078

When Netflix launched here 10 or 11 years ago I used a VPN to access the US version as they had loads of WWE content on it, all the documentaries like the Flair and HBK ones as well as dvd special releases like history of the ladder matches, Austins best matches etc so there is history between the two companies.

Lord TSC

https://twitter.com/sherman4949/status/1749852030984736781

for those wondering how the ads will work.

CastorTroy

I assumed would be like AEW since they have the online version and the televised version. So picture in picture for televised during matches or fullscreen with commentary for online. Then when between matches, just get the standard WWE ads or maybe promos for Netflix shows.

Agent Coulson

So what will now become the longest running episodic show on TV when RAW moves to streaming?

Poor Michael Cole will have to find a new line.

The Ayatolla

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121661910#Comment_121661910

Oh Netflix will still be considered "TV" and Raw is still episodic. 🤷‍♂️

OneEightSeven

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121661910#Comment_121661910

The longest-running weekly episodic television show in history.

Smackdown will be. If Smackdown moves to Netflix after its deal expires, then it will be TNA Impact. Wrestling is pretty unique in that it airs once a week, every week.

J. Marston

They'll keep saying it, to annoy the people who actually care about something so inconsequential.

Pinkman

Some deal for WWE. Regardless if some think there is far less original content worth watching on Netflix these days, it is by far the top streaming service. Disney, Amazon, Paramount, HBO Max and Apple have all been hemorrhaging money and subscribers in the past few years whereas Netflix is dominating again after a slowdown in subs and a drop in stock in 2022. If you look at the US market alone , this recent report shows Netflix has a larger share in viewers than Prime, Disney+, Max and Paramount combined.

SteM

The problem for the streamers is there are so many that people are smartening up and dipping in and out. Disney+ over Christmas, Apple TV when something new is released etc. Let stuff build up and then binge over a month.

This is an interesting solution for netflix, less likely for wwe fans to dip in and out of their service.

PTH2009

It got a good run

https://cultaholic.com/posts/wwe-network-to-be-shut-down-at-end-of-2024

Did Netflix ever live stream anything ? Will Royal Rumble 2025 be the first streamed event on it

CastorTroy

They did a live stream for a reunion show of one of their dating shows last year and I seem to remember reading about it not going well.

SteM

They streamed a Chris Rock special live.

fman

They live streamed a golf/F1 crossover event too so they have been making moves. I presume first raw of 2025 will be their first event. Also something needs to be wrapped up for the last few months of this year when deals start running out.

Blue_Dabadee

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121670828#Comment_121670828

I guess it is time to use my WWE Network subscription more than ever now.