WWE fans forced to switch platforms after major Netflix change | Official Website of Louis Velazquez, entrepreneur, finance guy and tech innovator

In 2024, Netflix raised eyebrows when it secured one of the biggest shows in sports entertainment.

In January of that year, the streaming giant announced in a press release a $5 billion 10-year deal with WWE (owned by TKO), making Netflix the new home of WWE’s “Monday Night Raw” after the show spent three decades on USA Network.

“This deal is transformative,” said TKO President Mark Shapiro in the press release. “It marries the can’t-miss WWE product with Netflix’s extraordinary global reach and locks in significant and predictable economics for many years.

“Our partnership fundamentally alters and strengthens the media landscape dramatically expands the reach of WWE and brings weekly live appointment viewing to Netflix,” he continued.

“Monday Night Raw” debuted on Netflix in January last year, allowing each episode to now have a “flexible” runtime after airing as a two-hour show on USA Network.

The move from Netflix and WWE, which is branded as a sports entertainment company, comes at a time when many consumers nationwide rely on streaming services to watch live sports events, according to Parks Associates’ S.O.S. State of Streaming report.

How many U.S. consumers use streaming services for sports:

Approximately 40% of U.S. consumers only watch sports via streaming services, while 19% watch sports exclusively through traditional cable services.
Also, 60% have subscribed to a general streaming service (e.g., Peacock, Apple TV+) to watch a sporting event or purchase a league pass that was only available on that service.
General streaming services are retaining 63% of those subscribers after the sporting event or season concludes. Source: Parks Associates

“Sports have become the backbone of live streaming adoption,” said Michael Goodman, senior contributing analyst at Parks Associates, in a press release.

“The ability to deliver interactive, data-driven, and personalized experiences is changing how audiences connect with their favorite teams and leagues. Our research illustrates the huge potential for new monetization models as engagement deepens across connected screens,” he said.

Netflix and WWE join forces as more consumers turn to streaming for live events.

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WWE fans will now have to rely more on Netflix

Amid this growing consumer trend, Netflix and WWE have recently decided to expand their long-term partnership.

Netflix is now the new U.S. home for WWE’s library of Premium Live Events that aired before September 2025, including “WrestleMania,” “SummerSlam” and “Royal Rumble,” as well as its documentaries and original programming, according to a new press release.

This means that consumers will need a Netflix subscription to watch this content. The move comes after the five-year deal NBCUniversal’s Peacock had for the WWE video library expired at the end of 2025.

The expiration of that deal resulted in WWE’s future Premium Live Events moving from Peacock to ESPN’s platforms this year.

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Peacock will still, however, air weekly “WWE SmackDown” episodes and WWE’s “Saturday Night’s Main Event” specials under a deal that covers both current and archived programming.

Netflix is boosting its content slate to prevent subscriber losses

Netflix’s addition of WWE’s library comes after the streaming platform frustrated its subscribers by raising its prices last year, like many of its competitors in the streaming world.

The monthly price of Netflix’s Standard with Ads subscription increased from $6.99 to $7.99. Its Standard (ad-free) tier climbed from $15.49 to $17.99, while Premium rose from $22.99 to $24.99.

In response to the price hikes, some Netflix subscribers even threatened to cut ties with the company.

As Netflix and other streaming platforms become more expensive, more consumers are adjusting their streaming habits as they hunt for more value, according to a recent survey from Reach3 Insights and Rival Technologies.

How Americans are responding to higher streaming costs:

Approximately 68% of Americans said Netflix is their most essential streaming platform, while 33% named Hulu and 25% said Amazon Prime Video.
Also, six in 10 Americans have changed their streaming habits in recent months.
Specifically, 24% have switched to ad-supported streaming tiers, while 32% are relying on ad-supported or free apps, and 21% only subscribe to a streaming service when specific shows are available.
Nearly half of Americans have canceled or downgraded a subscription, with affordability and a lack of compelling content cited as the top reasons. Source: Reach3 Insights and Rival Technologies

“Consumers are redefining entertainment in the face of broader economic concerns,” said Varun Jog, research director at Reach3 Insights, in a press release. “The winners will be the brands that adapt quickly, offering deep value in ways that reflect their shifting priorities.”

So it is no surprise that Netflix is making bold additions to its content library as it weathers changing consumer behavior. In addition to adding WWE’s library to its platform, Netflix is rebooting the nostalgic talent competition show “Star Search,” which is set to debut on Jan. 20.

Popular shows such as “Veronica Mars” and “Southland” are also set to debut on Netflix later this month, as well as comedy special “Mike Epps: Delusional.”