Gourav Kumar Singh’s Post

And your NEW home for WWE's "Monday Night Raw:" Netflix! The entertainment streaming platform scored the 1-2-3 to land exclusive rights to WWE's flagship program for the next decade. The popular longest-running weekly episodic show had been on NBCUniversal's USA Network throughout much of its history, but once media rights were up for grabs, all bets were off. It's a win for Netflix as it scores its first livestreamed sporting event. "Raw" will air exclusively on the platform starting in January 2025 worldwide. Plus, all WWE shows and specials including "Smackdown," "NXT," and the live events will stream on Netflix if you're outside the U.S. — those in the States will still have to use Peacock. It's a deal valued at more than $5 billion! Is its impact similar to Amazon's deal for the National Football League (NFL)'s "Thursday Night Football" program (granted Amazon is paying $1 billion per year for 10 years)? But it's not just about "Raw" for Netflix. As CNBC reports, the agreement allows Netflix to leverage WWE's intellectual property, meaning movies or series could be developed around your favorite wrestler or entertainer. Pay attention to Netflix's quarterly subscriber numbers as that might be a sign as to whether or not wrestling fans stick with "Raw." Side note: Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is joining the board of WWE's parent company TKO. https://lnkd.in/gKaF5wvV

Netflix Buys Rights To WWE's 'Raw,' Its First Big Live Event: Netflix has acquired the exclusive rights to Raw as well as other programming from World Wrestling Entertainment, marking the streaming service's first big move into live events. From a report: Raw will air on Netflix in the US, Canada, Latin America and other international markets beginning in January 2025, after the expiration of the WWE's domestic deal with Comcast. The company will also become the exclusive home outside the US for all WWE shows and specials, including Smackdown and NXT, as well as pay-per-view live events like Wrestlemania, SummerSlam and Royal Rumble. The pay-per-view events will be included at no additional cost for Netflix customers. After attracting more than 200 million customers by offering films and TV shows on-demand, Netflix has now committed to offering three hours of live wrestling a week starting next year. The company hopes the deal will bring in millions of loyal WWE viewers and provide a boost for its fledgling advertising-supported plan. Netflix has been dabbling in live events for the last year, airing a live comedy special, as well as a golf match, but this is the first long-term rights deal. The WWE is the latest major live event to shift from cable TV to streaming. Ultimate Fighting Championship, which like WWE is owned by TKO Group Holdings Inc., offers many of its matches on ESPN+, while the National Football League sold Amazon the rights to Thursday Night Football. A playoff game on Comcast's Peacock just delivered the largest streaming audience for any professional sports event in the US. The deal 10-year deal is valued at more than $5 billion, CNBC reported. Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Netflix Buys Rights To WWE's 'Raw,' Its First Big Live Event: Netflix has acquired the exclusive rights to Raw as well as other programming from World Wrestling Entertainment, marking the streaming service's first big move into live events. From a report: Raw will air on Netflix in the US, Canada, Latin America and other international markets beginning in January 2025, after the expiration of the WWE's domestic deal with Comcast. The company will also become the exclusive home outside the US for all WWE shows and specials, including Smackdown and NXT, as well as pay-per-view live events like Wrestlemania, SummerSlam and Royal Rumble. The pay-per-view events will be included at no additional cost for Netflix customers. After attracting more than 200 million customers by offering films and TV shows on-demand, Netflix has now committed to offering three hours of live wrestling a week starting next year. The company hopes the deal will bring in millions of loyal WWE viewers and provide a boost for its fledgling advertising-supported plan. Netflix has been dabbling in live events for the last year, airing a live comedy special, as well as a golf match, but this is the first long-term rights deal. The WWE is the latest major live event to shift from cable TV to streaming. Ultimate Fighting Championship, which like WWE is owned by TKO Group Holdings Inc., offers many of its matches on ESPN+, while the National Football League sold Amazon the rights to Thursday Night Football. A playoff game on Comcast's Peacock just delivered the largest streaming audience for any professional sports event in the US. Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Netflix Buys Rights To WWE's 'Raw,' Its First Big Live Event: Netflix has acquired the exclusive rights to Raw as well as other programming from World Wrestling Entertainment, marking the streaming service's first big move into live events. From a report: Raw will air on Netflix in the US, Canada, Latin America and other international markets beginning in January 2025, after the expiration of the WWE's domestic deal with Comcast. The company will also become the exclusive home outside the US for all WWE shows and specials, including Smackdown and NXT, as well as pay-per-view live events like Wrestlemania, SummerSlam and Royal Rumble. The pay-per-view events will be included at no additional cost for Netflix customers. After attracting more than 200 million customers by offering films and TV shows on-demand, Netflix has now committed to offering three hours of live wrestling a week starting next year. The company hopes the deal will bring in millions of loyal WWE viewers and provide a boost for its fledgling advertising-supported plan. Netflix has been dabbling in live events for the last year, airing a live comedy special, as well as a golf match, but this is the first long-term rights deal. The WWE is the latest major live event to shift from cable TV to streaming. Ultimate Fighting Championship, which like WWE is owned by TKO Group Holdings Inc., offers many of its matches on ESPN+, while the National Football League sold Amazon the rights to Thursday Night Football. A playoff game on Comcast's Peacock just delivered the largest streaming audience for any professional sports event in the US. Read more of this story at Slashdot.

New Post: Why did Netflix pay $5 billion for WWE? - Tuesday was a busy day at Netflix. In the morning, the streamer inked its first major live sports deal when it signed a 10-year, $5 billion agreement with pro wrestling outfit World Wrestling Entertainment, a bombshell curtain raiser the same day it was due to release its fourth quarter and full year earnings for 2023.  Co-CEO Ted Sarandos demurred on the topic of live sports broadcasts in October, on the last quarterly earnings call. With Netflix’s stock up 40% since that last report, on the back of blistering subscriber growth, this year-end report and call was already hotly anticipated. In January, Netflix’s ad chief Amy Reinhard said its ad-supported tier had 23 million subscribers, up from 15 million in November, crushing analyst expectations. Though some on the Street believe that strong performance is already priced into the stock, meaning there can’t be much room to grow—right? The WWE deal is an indication that Netflix is looking for that growth in new places.  Netflix’s new deal will see it air WWE’s weekly show Raw in the U.S., U.K., Canada, and Latin America. In every other market, Netflix will air Raw and the other two weekly shows, SmackDown and NXT, plus all of its major showcases, including WrestleMania and SummerSlam. WWE executives cited Netflix’s global reach as a key reason for the deal. WWE is owned by TKO Holdings, which was formed when the talent agency Endeavor engineered a $21 billion merger between the pro wrestling circuit and MMA championship UFC. Shares of TKO were up as much as 24% in premarket trading after the news was made public, before settling in for a still impressive boost of 15%.  Adding live programming, like ad-supported programming before it, is a natural extension of a media company’s trajectory, especially one as dominant as Netflix. Widely considered the winner of the streaming wars and with just under 240 million global subscribers, Netflix’s move into live programming was long anticipated—but why the WWE? 1 – Why WWE instead of another sport While it certainly doesn’t have the vice grip on American sports fandom of the NFL, or the “cool factor” of the NBA, the WWE is still a ratings powerhouse on cable. It was the number one show on USA Network, its former home, according to a press release from Netflix and WWE. The show had 17.5 million unique viewers over the course of 2023.  It also has surprisingly high brand awareness, with 82% of Americans saying they’ve heard of WWE. As of June, the WWE had 90 million fans, according to the market research firm SSRS/Luker, first reported by the Hollywood Reporter.  WWE fans also tend to be more loyal subscribers than the average viewer, according to data from Antenna.  Also, sports fans, and this very much includes WWE fans, defy the reigning industry convention that says users unsubscribe when they finish watching the show or movie that got them

How does WWE make money? Vince McMahon founded WWE in 1952 (originally as Capitol Wrestling Corporation). He retired briefly in 2022 but returned in January 2023 to "fully capitalize" on upcoming media rights negotiations. McMahon orchestrated the sale of WWE to Endeavor Group Holdings Inc., the parent company of UFC, in April 2023. The deal valued WWE at $9.3 billion, with Endeavor holding a 51% stake in the new company. WWE's revenue streams are diverse, allowing it to thrive in the entertainment industry. Here are the key components of its business model: 1. Pay-Per-View Events: WWE hosts iconic events like WrestleMania, Royal Rumble, SummerSlam and Night of Champions, which attract global audiences. These events generate substantial revenue through ticket sales, merchandise, and broadcasting rights. 2. Television Rights Fees: WWE's long-term contracts with NBC Universal (for Raw) and Fox (for SmackDown) contribute significantly to its revenue. These deals, signed in 2018, are worth a combined $470 million annually and run through October 2024. FYI, Raw is coming to Netflix (tag) for $5 Bn rights deal for 10 years. 3. Merchandise Sales: WWE's Superstars have a massive fan following, and their merchandise (from T-shirts to action figures) contributes to the company's bottom line. 4. Live Event Ticket Sales: WWE's global live events continue to draw enthusiastic crowds. In 2024, Money in the Bank became WWE's highest-grossing arena event ever, setting records for viewership, sponsorship, merchandise, and social media activity. Yes, they have done live events in India too where I had gone (see pic below) 5. Sponsorships and Partnerships: WWE collaborates with various brands for sponsorships, endorsements, and cross-promotions. 6. Licensing and Media Rights: WWE licenses its content for video games, streaming services, and other media platforms. WWE's mission statement is to "create and deliver innovative entertainment experiences that captivate and inspire audiences worldwide." Who’s your favourite WWE wrestler? Let me know in the comments. #lfs #wwe #founder

WWE Taps Gen Z Audience With Logan Paul: WWE, part of TKO Group Holdings, announced a new global partnership with Logan Paul and KSI's PRIME Hydration beverage brand, making it the "Official Hydration Drink Partner" of WWE. PRIME will be the first partner to have branding on the center of the wrestling ring mat at major events. The agreement grants PRIME unprecedented exposure and integration across WWE assets, including match sponsorships, event co-presenter designations, product activations, and support from WWE stars on social media. WWE Chief Content Officer Paul Levesque, known as Triple H, expressed excitement about the partnership, highlighting PRIME's success and the opportunity to showcase the brand. Logan Paul, PRIME co-founder and WWE Superstar, called it a "dream come true" to combine two of his achievements. The deal merges the global partnerships teams across WWE and UFC, which were united under TKO Group Holdings in January 2023. PRIME, co-founded by Paul and KSI, has been the "Official Hydration Drink of UFC" since earlier this year. Introduced in 2022, PRIME markets itself as a sports drink with added nutritional benefits, targeting active lifestyles. The new partnership represents a major marketing win for the upstart beverage company, while WWE benefits from the creator-oriented brand's popularity with the Gen Z demographic. 👉🏼 Read the full story by clicking here: https://lnkd.in/gRtAbJqi #InfluencerMarketing #Influencer #WWE #LoganPaul #KSI #PRIME

Netflix might have just smelt what RAW is cooking ♨ 🔥 WWE Wrestlemania 40 was the last Wrestlemania on PPV before the Netflix deal begins in 2025 and, it was the Most Watched WWE event ever. If you thought scripted wrestling was going down, think again. WWE and UFC merged in September last year to form TKO, the parent company which now holds both the brands. TKO is valued at $21.3 Billion , making it one of the biggest entertainment businesses in the world. 🌟 Netflix has entered into a whopping 500 Million a year deal for 10 years, with TKO to be the streaming partner for RAW and other main events. This is a strategic bet by Netflix to increase retention of its user base, in line with other streaming players who are also grabbing up sporting deals. Prime Video & Amazon Studios now offers Thursday Night Football and Premier League matches. Apple has a 2.5 billion deal with MLS and Disney too is stocking up it’s sports portfolio. While other streaming giants focus on traditional sports, Netflix's decision to include scripted wrestling aims to attract both GenZ and nostalgic audiences. 🌟 A key similarity between Netflix and WWE is their reliance on compelling storytelling for success. From a business expansion standpoint, Netflix's focus on synergistic entities within the entertainment sector appears to be a strategic move and is directionally correct Yet, Netflix’s strategy in terms of content on the platform has been a hit and miss in the last 5 years, allowing competitors to close the gap. 🛑 The question arises: Will the inclusion of WWE content reverse this trend? Is an investment of $500 million annually justifiable? Looking at the numbers, the appeal of scripted wrestling shows no signs of waning soon. 👉 Viewership for Wrestlemania 40 was 40% higher than the last record 👉 April 7 was also the highest viewed date in WWE Youtube Channel history with 67mil views 👉This was also the first time the ring mat had a sponsor. The signs look promising. There may be a ROI in this for Netflix after all. But will this be a game changer? #growth #expansion #business #entertainment #sports #netflix #amazon #apple

When Two Global Brands Break Bread. In a surprising twist, the much-criticized "fake" realm of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) has become a profitable investment for Netflix. They've secured a groundbreaking $5 billion, 10-year deal for the RAW brand, starting January 2025. The skepticism surrounding WWE's authenticity faces a challenge with this strategic move by the streaming giant. WWE's rich history, from the WWWF to its current global status, highlights its adaptability under Vince McMahon's leadership. The transition to WWE.com and online shows marked a pivotal moment, showcasing the brand's commitment to evolving with the times. The strategic split into two distinct Wrestling Brands, RAW and SMACKDOWN, along with the addition of NXT, is a brilliant move in portfolio development. WWE's monumental Live Pay-Per-View events, including WrestleMania with iconic figures like Hulk Hogan and The Undertaker, have been a cornerstone of its success. While Raw has been the longest-running weekly episodic TV show on the USANetwork, its move to Netflix signifies a historic shift, impacting both WWE and Netflix. The recent WWE merger with Endeavor/TKO, aligning it with the UFC, emphasizes its dynamic nature. Partnering with Netflix, a company venturing into sports streaming, opens new global doors for both entities. Netflix, initially cautious about sports streaming, recognizes WWE's global appeal and aims to leverage its vast subscriber base. WWE, with a massive following in India and a global fanbase, sees in Netflix the perfect platform for reaching audiences worldwide. This collaboration brings live entertainment to Netflix, while Netflix gains a valuable addition to its content portfolio. Despite potential challenges like shifts in consumer behavior and unique advertising dimensions, this partnership challenges notions about WWE's legitimacy. It stands as a masterclass in global decision in marketing, impacting consumer behavior, the live versus streaming TV dichotomy, and the entertainment industry globally. In conclusion, would any right business thinking man still call WWE fake? No. The $5 billion WWE deal is far from fake; it's a strategic alliance reshaping the sports entertainment and streaming landscape on a global scale. key word...Sports ENTERTAINMENT. #netflix #wwe #raw #smackdown #nxt #marketing

Calling all WWE fans! Anyone else interested in the plot twist of moving RAW to Netflix? I'm sitting in my Stone Cold Steve Austin t-shirt reading the news and I’m trying to connect all the dots. Some context: ⚪ #RAW is currently on Comcast-owned USA network with plans to move in January 2025 to Netflix as it’s “exclusive home” – but only for a few territories (including US, UK, Canada) ⚪ WWE has a streaming agreement with Peacock for #WWE content on-demand and live pay-per-view telecasts like “Wrestlemania” & “Royal Rumble”. This new Netflix agreement includes these big monthly telecasts for those outside of the U.S. ⚪ WWE announced in September that “Friday Night Smackdown” would be moving from Fox to USA Network in 2024 under a new five-year domestic media rights partnership with NBCUniversal. ⚪ The Rock was appointed to TKO (Owner of Ultimate Fighting Championship & WWE) board of directors who not only owns Seven Bucks Production but a professional football league, United Football League (UFL). ⚪ The Rock came back a few weeks ago and hinted at a return to face Roman Reigns (pay-per-view/Wrestlemania caliber return). The big questions are: ❔ How does #NXT (the “next” generation of WWE show) that broadcasts on Tuesday nights fit into this agreement? ❔ With these exclusive deals, is WWE now requiring customers to use an additional streaming service AND cable to consume live matches? ❔ What viewership implications will there be for live vs on-demand? ❔ Is there a plan to consolidate WWE into Netflix and move away from Peacock? ❔ Is Netflix utilizing The Rock’s portfolio in some capacity to gain more traction into live sports streaming to compete with Apple and Amazon? I'd love to hear thoughts from other fans who are asking the same or different questions!