WWE Content To Leave Hulu This Week
WWE's contract with Hulu is about to expire, hence impending content deletions...
A bunch of WWE content will soon be pulled from Hulu as an existing contract between the two parties is on the verge of expiring.
PWInsider had originally reported that Hulu would be removing WWE shows on Saturday 25 September, though the content is now scheduled to be deleted tomorrow, Tuesday 27 September. Talks over a new deal were still ongoing as of 18 September, though there is currently no word on whether or not those are any further along.
Hulu's current deal with WWE sees the platform host episodes of Raw, SmackDown, NXT, Main Event, NXT Level Up, and archived 205 Live, Superstars, Total Divas, and Total Bellas shows, plus others. SmackDown should be the one property that doesn't vanish from the platform. Per Wrestlenomics' Brandon Thurston, the blue brand's network, Fox, sub-licences its next-day rights to Hulu, so SmackDown viewers will be able to consume the show through the service until at least September 2024.
Live WWE programming is available on Hulu for 30 days before being uploaded to Peacock and WWE Network.
Content rights fees have been WWE's biggest money-makers for years, accounting for $243.1 million of $328.2 million in net revenue per the company's latest set of financial reports (Q2 2022).