WWE/Netflix Reach Ten-Year Agreement
The world of sports entertainment got flipped on its head this morning as WWE has struck a deal with Netflix that will see its flagship weekly live show air exclusively on the steaming juggernaut beginning in January 2025. This marks the first time in "Monday Night Raw” history that it will not air weekly on a linear television network. “Monday Night Raw” made its television network in 1993 on the USA Network and has been a mainstay on the channel ever since (it was moved to Spike TV in 2000, but moved back to USA Network in 2005).
With 1600 episodes to date, “Monday Night Raw” is the most iconic show in sports entertainment. 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.
Both parties agreed on a deal worth $500 million per year for 10 years, a total value of $5 billion over the entire deal. Sources within WWE say their current five-year deal with NBCUniversal, the parent company of USA Network, is worth around $250 million - $260 million per year. Under this new deal, Netflix will become the exclusive home of “Monday Night Raw” in the U.S., Canada, Latin America, the U.K., and other territories when the deal begins, with the possibility of other countries and regions being added over time. Outside the United States, Netflix will also be the home of WWE’s other weekly shows “Friday Night SmackDown” and “NXT”, as well as annual Premium Live Events like WrestleMania, SummerSlam, and the Royal Rumble. Documentaries, original series, and additional projects will also be located on Netflix.
This deal is WWE’s final step in their latest rounds of TV rights deals. In late 2023, “Friday Night SmackDown” was sold to NBCUniversal and USA Network for $1.4 billion over a five-year deal. Shortly thereafter, WWE announced “NXT” would be moving from USA Network to the CW on a five-year $20 million - $25 million deal. The purchase of “Monday Night Raw” gives Netflix a weekly, live production that could be a real trailblazing moment, considering rival services provide live sports programs. For example, Peacock, NBCUniversal’s streaming service and current home to WWE’s live events in the U.S. and their entire library, recently had 23 million viewers when they aired the Kansas City Chiefs vs. Miami Dolphins NFL playoff game.
