WWE Raw To Find A Temporary Home Prior To Netflix Move

WWE is weighing up options for where Raw will air prior to the big Netflix move.

by Andrew Pollard
WWE Raw Logo
WWE

Ahead of WWE's huge move to Netflix next year, the company is hopeful of finding a temporary home for Raw for the three months leading up to that move.

For those unaware, WWE Raw will call Netflix home in the US as of the start of 2025. However, the existing deal that sees Raw air on USA Network expires at the end of September, meaning there's a three-month spell of uncertainty as to where US audiences will be able to find the red brand.

Speaking during the TKO Q4 2023 Earnings Call, TKO Chief Financial Officer Andrew Schleimer confirmed plans to find a temporary home for Raw during that period, although the wording here also suggests that there may be the possibility of Raw simply remaining on USA for that brief time.

Advertisement

As Schleimer explained (via WrestlingHeadlines):

"We also intend to renew our license or find an alternate provider to carry Raw in the US for the 90-day period from October 1, 2024 through December 31, 2024 before it moves to Netflix as described below. These domestic licenses together account for a very significant portion of our media segment revenues and profitability. No assurances can be provided as to the outcome of these negotiations and, if we are unable to renew existing agreements or find alternative streaming or distribution partners, our results of operations could be adversely impacted."

Of course, the USA Network will officially be the US home ot WWE SmackDown as of October, with that show moving over from FOX.

Advertisement

As part of this ten-year, $5 billion Netflix deal, WWE Raw will move to the streaming platform from January in the United States. For those outside the US, January will see Netflix become the home of Raw, SmackDown, Premium Live Events, WWE documentaries, original series, and upcoming projects - effectively taking over from the WWE Network, which will shut down at the end of 2024.

 
Posted On: 
Senior Writer
Senior Writer

Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main day job, his role as the lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Adrienne Barbeau, Rob Zombie, Katharine Isabelle, Leigh Whannell, Bruce Campbell, and Tony Todd, to Kevin Smith, Ron Perlman, Elijah Wood, Giancarlo Esposito, Simon Pegg, Charlie Cox, the Russo Brothers, and Brian Blessed, to Kevin Conroy, Paul Dini, Tara Strong, Will Friedle, Burt Ward, Andrea Romano, Frank Miller, and Rob Liefeld, to Bret Hart, Sting, Mick Foley, Ricky Starks/Saints, Jamie Hayter, Britt Baker, Eric Bischoff, and William Regal, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, Brian Flynn, Denis Smith, Gary Bennett, Karl Connolly, and Bryan Robson - and that's just the tip of an ever-expanding iceberg. Where his beloved Wrexham AFC is concerned, Andrew is co-host of the Fearless in Devotion podcast, which won the Club Podcast of the Year gong at the 2024 FSA Awards.