By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man –Follow on X.
Former editor of 4 TV magazines. Author of TV Dot Com.
TV Answer Man, did you see that WWE has a big deal with Netflix? Is this Netflix’s first move into live sports? — Barry, Mobile, Alabama.
Barry, Netflix and the WWE today announced a long-term partnership that will bring WWE’s flagship weekly live wrestling show, Raw, to Netflix starting in January 2025. The show will stay on the USA Network until October of this year, but the shift to Netflix next year will mark the first time it will not be on a basic cable or TV network in 31 years. (It’s not clear where Raw will air between October 2024 and January 2025.)
As part of the deal, Netflix will also become the home for all WWE shows and specials outside the United States, inclusive of Raw and WWE’s other weekly shows, SmackDown and NXT, as well as WrestleMania, SummerSlam and Royal Rumble. WWE’s award-winning documentaries, original series and forthcoming projects will also be available on Netflix internationally beginning in 2025.
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“We are excited to have WWE Raw, with its huge and passionate multigenerational fan base, on Netflix,” said Bela Bajaria, Netflix’s chief content officer. “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.”
I’ve seen several stories this morning that say this is Netflix’s first major foray in live sports. But come on, folks. Pro wrestling is not live sports. It’s scripted entertainment. Don’t believe me? Here’s the Oxford definition of sports:
“An activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment.”
There is no competition in pro wrestling. The outcome has been determined before it begins. It’s all just stage play on a mat.
Now, you can argue that wrestlers are athletic but so was Sylvester Stallone in Rocky. It’s still just scripted drama.
Netflix has dabbled with real live sports (the somewhat forgettable Netflix Cup celebrity golf tournament) and it will stream an exhibition tennis match in March. But the WWE is not another move into live sports because…it’s not sports!
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The TV Answer Man is veteran journalist Phillip Swann who has covered the TV technology scene for more than three decades. He will report on the latest news and answer your questions regarding new devices and services that are changing the way you watch television. See the bio for Phillip Swann here.
