WWE Seeks Larger Stage with Help from Netflix for More Live Events
WWE is gearing up to hit the big stage next month, as “Raw,” their weekly live show, makes its debut on Netflix. This move means leaving behind the USA Network, where they averaged about 688,000 viewers in prime time last year, according to Nielsen. Now, WWE will be able to connect with the roughly 283 million subscribers on Netflix worldwide.
Fans can expect more live events from WWE on Netflix, as the streaming giant focuses on expanding its live entertainment offerings following the success of the Mike Tyson and Jake Paul fight, which drew over 60 million viewers. Over the past month, “Raw” has been bringing in an average of about 1.5 million viewers on the USA Network, as reported by Nielsen.
Since its launch in 1993, WWE has created thousands of episodes of “Raw,” featuring top performers like Seth Rollins, CM Punk, and Rhea Ripley. This shift to Netflix comes after WWE secured a deal worth over $5 billion with the streaming service, making “Raw” and its media rights a hot commodity.
With the move to Netflix, WWE won’t have to worry as much about sensitive content being censored, giving them more freedom to produce the kind of entertainment they want. Promoting the transition to Netflix on various platforms, WWE continues to seek out new audiences and expand its reach.
Former professional wrestler and current WWE chief content officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque revealed during a Travis Scott concert that the rapper’s song will be the new theme for “Raw” on Netflix. Scott will also make an appearance on the first episode airing on January 6th.
In addition to WWE, Netflix plans to stream two National Football League games globally on Christmas Day, as part of a larger strategy to incorporate live programming into its lineup. JPMorgan analyst Doug Anmuth expects Netflix to further lean into live sports and entertainment content in the future, following the successful deal with WWE.
