(Reuters) – Netflix has signed a rights deal worth more than $5 billion with World Wrestling Entertainment, a US company specializing in organizing wrestling matches, making the streaming platform the exclusive broadcaster of the live show “Raw” from January 2025.
The 10-year partnership provides for the broadcast of Raw on Netflix in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Latin America in particular, the two companies indicated.
The streaming pioneer will also exclusively broadcast, outside the United States, all WWE shows and specials, including SmackDown, as well as live pay-per-view events such as WrestleMania and Royal Rumble.
The deal with WWE marks Netflix’s first long-term bet on live events and could help attract new subscribers to the platform.
“This deal is transformative,” said Mark Shapiro, president of TKO, adding that it “dramatically expands WWE’s reach and brings weekly live dates to Netflix.”
Raw, airing every Monday, is the flagship show of Comcast-owned broadcaster USA Network, where it attracts approximately 17.5 million unique viewers over the course of a year. It began in 1993 and has 1,600 episodes.
On the New York Stock Exchange, Netflix shares gained 0.5% in early trading and the TKO group, parent company of WWE, climbed more than 20%.
(Reporting Harshita Mary Varghese in Bangalore; French version Gaëlle Sheehan)
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