WWE Raw on Netflix: Commercial-Free Show To Reach - What Does New $5 Billion Deal Mean?

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For years now, the USA Network used to be the home of Monday Night Raw, the flagship show of WWE and let alone of the entire professional wrestling circuit. The show is set to receive a new home as informed, last night.

After WWE struck a new deal with Netflix, WWE Raw will be broadcast on Netflix starting in January 2025. With this, the OTT platform will play host to the most iconic wrestling television show, globally.

New details regarding this deal between WWE and Netflix have now emerged which informs that the subscribers will get to see action without a break. According to Alex Sherman of CNBC, Netflix subscribers will get to see Raw without any commercial breaks.

"A new detail from the Netflix/Raw deal: For Netflix subs that don't get ads (the vast majority of y'all)... Raw matches will be scripted around commercial breaks. So you'll get some non-important match action (sustained headlocks!) instead of commercials. You won't get ads."

Netflix and WWE signed a ten-year deal and according to a filing with the SEC, Netflix has the option to extend the deal beyond ten years or opt out after five years if they don't get to see benefits with this deal.

Speaking of the deal, According to Deadline and Variety, WWE's agreement with Netflix is worth $5 billion in total, which means $500 million per year. WWE is currently getting paid $250 million per year for Raw on the USA Network by parent company NBCUniversal.

Going by the above reports, the WWE - Netflix partnership will last for at least 5 years if not it gets extended for 10 or 20 years - whichever Netflix chooses. The company itself disclosed the value of the deal over 10 years would be "in excess of $5 billion".

Following the announcement, WWE President Nick Khan, appeared on the Pat McAfee Show to talk about the broadcast rights deal and clarified if the WWE premium live events will be moving to Netflix as well,

"Our current partner in the United States on all the premium live events like WrestleMania is Peacock and NBCU. They've been tremendous partners. This deal with Netflix is for the premium live events outside of the United States, excluding certain territories."