Make-A-Wish America’s Post

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.

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

As a longtime admirer of the WWE's marketing prowess and a regular appointment viewer of RAW and Smackdown, today's news of WWE's Money in the Bank premium live event coming to Toronto next summer for the first time strikes a couple of chords. Whether pro wrestling is "real" or "fake" is immaterial. What is material is the product is very entertaining and highly engaging. Brand marketers in all industries, not just in sport business, can learn many lessons from the WWE marketing machine. Their storytelling, brand building, social media engagement, pop culture integration, product packaging and festivalization - turning the original one-day MITB PPV event into a three-day MITB "festival" - is second to none. So, instead of fussing over the authenticity/inauthenticty of "pro wrestling," buy a ticket, attend the event, and see marketing best practices in action. What is authentic is it's "sports entertainment" at its best. Now, if only the Money In The Bank briefcase could be hung from the CN Tower Edgewalk railing instead of from a truss inside Scotiabank Arena… :-) #sportbusiness #marketingbestpractice #popculture #brandmangement #fanengagement #festivalization

WWE & Netflix Tag-Teaming for the Win! 🤼♂️📺 Well, this is MASSIVE news in my world - WWE sign to Netflix $5 BILLION for 10 years! (maaaadness) This mind-boggling deal means that not only will WWE's 30+ year flagship show "WWE Raw" be available on Netflix, but eventually, other WWE content such as SmackDown, NXT, and WWE's pay-per-view events, currently termed as "Premium Live Events", could also make the transition once existing contracts with other broadcasters expire. In the UK Though - we get a SWEET deal, as we will get ALL OF THE ABOVE from Jan 2025 (incredible!) The financial strategy behind this move appears to aim at capitalizing on WWE's consistent and dedicated viewership by integrating it into Netflix's subscription model, which could potentially expand WWE's reach given Netflix's global audience. Additionally, this deal would represent a significant expansion into live and sports content for Netflix, marking a new direction for their streaming service offerings Quick Take: WWE has no off season, that's a guaranteed WORLDWIDE weekly programme with a proven appeal to many! (Age, Background, Culture) - Someone YOU know, follows WWE AND/OR Pro-Wrestling. This is a genius move by Netflix, It's one thing to produce a season of a pre-recorded entertainment program - binge once - spoilers go out It's another to bring the excitement of a live broadcast WEEKLY & to a Worldwide audience that (in theory) can't be spoiled as its LIVE! Genius I for one am very excited by this massive news Much like in 2014 - WWE launched the first OTT (Over The Top) on-demand niche service, 10 years later they announce they are yet again head of the curve fully embracing a digital audience. *Yes, other sports have done the odd game, series on streaming - but not fully committing to it - This is fantastic! p.s. The Rock now being part of the board & decision makers - that is also a huge deal in its self

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.

WWE contracts Elon Musk wife to webcast five-minute "speed" contests https://ift.tt/8tw5IVc WWE contracts Elon Musk wife to webcast five-minute "speed" contests Elon Musk's social media platform X is getting more entertainment content. It will broadcast material from NBCUniversal during the 2024 Paris Olympics in addition to exclusive Fox content from the FIFA World Cup. Wrestling is predicted to raise the topic of X in contrast to other sports. According to reports, Elon Musk's social media platform X, previously known as Twitter, has agreed to a two-year contract with WWE for the creation of a new, weekly exclusive video series. The Hollywood Reporter has reported that timed contests lasting no more than five minutes would be a staple of the new WWE Speed format. According to the source, WWE Superstars from the entire roster will appear in the live-tape series, which is scheduled to premiere this spring. Matches from previous WWE programs won't be reused, and the material will be unique. 52 weeks a year, new episodes of WWE Speed will air. For X, how significant is this deal? The article claims that this agreement represents a significant advancement for X in the entertainment industry. The firm, controlled by Musk, signed a 10-show agreement with Range Media Partners last month. Among others, former CNN anchor Don Lemon, sports radio broadcaster Jim Rome, and former congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard have secured agreements to host new series on the microblogging platform. Additionally, Fox-only entertainment was aired on X during the FIFA World Cup last year. The portal will broadcast select NBCUniversal material in 2024 in preparation for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. It's anticipated that sports, particularly wrestling, will spark a lot of discussion on X. WWE is developing its streaming capabilities. WWE Endeavor became TKO after merging with the UFC in 2023. The business has been restructuring its rights arrangements ever since the merger. Netflix just agreed to pay $5 billion over ten years for the worldwide rights to WWE and Raw. WWE NXT departed USA for The CW, while WWE SmackDown departed Fox for USA Network (with select specials airing on NBC). Given its weekly schedule and brief duration, WWE Speed may not be as significant as the previously listed long-term initiatives. But this agreement with X implies that WWE intends to sell off its streaming rights. The business has also been exploring for fresh approaches to boost rights income since the merger. https://ift.tt/orQZRCK news February 10, 2024 at 11:38AM

Netflix is getting into wrestling, which is really entertainment, not sports. Netflix announced a ten-year deal with the WWE (part of TKO Group Holdings) to be the exclusive new home of Raw in the U.S., Canada, U.K., and Latin America, among other territories, with additional countries and regions to be added over time. According to a regulatory filing from TKO, the agreement with Netflix is valued at more than $5 billion, with an option for Netflix to extend the pact for an additional ten years or opt out after the initial five years. Based on what I can tell, this currently looks like 3-hours of live programming per week. Netflix will also become the home for all WWE shows and specials outside the U.S. as available, inclusive of Raw and WWE’s other weekly shows – SmackDown and NXT – as well as the company’s Premium Live Events, including WrestleMania, SummerSlam and Royal Rumble. Netflix says Raw is currently the No. 1 show on USA Network, bringing in 17.5 million unique viewers over the year. One of television’s best-performing shows in the 18-49 advertising demographic, Raw trends on X 52 weeks a year while each new episode airs. WWE has over one billion followers across its social media platforms. Video with WWE's President talking about the deal: https://lnkd.in/eFQbyf9j https://lnkd.in/epG2chDr - #streamingmedia #netflix #wweraw #wrestling

Huge news for the wrestling community, as The Rock continues to break barriers. WWE is notorious for wanting complete control over the characters that their wrestlers portray in their programming. Who can blame them? It is an efficient way for them to maintain full control over things merchandising, licensing, etc, which is the bedrock for a lot of the cash flow. It’s hard to fathom, but I liken it to Gal Gadot not owning the rights to Wonder Woman, even though she plays that character. Like superheroes, these wrestlers are characters. While there are some exceptions to the rule, WWE is pretty strong-minded about maintaining control. Things get interesting when the stage name is the actual legal name of the wrestler. Anyway, this headline is important because it just goes to show the star power that Dwyane Johnson has. Not only is he joining the board of WWE and UFC owner TKO, but now he has full discretion to use “The Rock” however he pleases. I can see this setting a precedent for other wrestlers who may ask their attorneys to do more defensive drafting, if this is the new norm. So, do you smell what The Rock is cooking?! #entertainment #wrestling #therock #lawyer #netflix https://lnkd.in/eCvGRwTx