In a twist that could only be matched by a surprise Royal Rumble entrant, TKO Group Holdings’ COO Mark Shapiro recently revealed the backstory behind WWE’s major move to Netflix. That’s right, folks—come January 2025, your weekly dose of “Monday Night Raw” will be streaming directly into your living room via Netflix, making it easier than ever to relive all those glorious suplexes and shocking heel turns without even needing cable.
Originally, Shapiro and company had their sights set on a slightly smaller prize. “It started with Ari [Emanuel] and I trying to pitch Bela Bajaria [Netflix CCO] on NXT,” Shapiro shared during “The Main Event with Andrew Marchand.” Yes, you heard that right—the little engine that could, WWE NXT, was the initial apple of Netflix’s eye. But much like a wrestler eyeing up the World Heavyweight Championship, that small pitch grew into something far more massive. “It graduated—to our liking, of course—and matured into a conversation of going bigger and going global. Ultimately, that turned out to be Raw and, by the way, all the other properties internationally. So they’re in it in a big way.”
Of course, deals like this aren’t signed with just a handshake and a steel chair. According to Shapiro, this was no easy feat. “This wasn’t an easy deal… It took them a lot of convincing,” he explained, noting that Netflix’s top brass, including Ted Sarandos and CFO Spencer Neumann, needed some serious sweet-talking. Apparently, the folks at Netflix drove a harder bargain than Vince McMahon at a contract signing, but in the end, both sides walked away with their hands raised in victory.
Meanwhile, as WWE locks down its streaming future, its rival AEW is still playing the negotiation game with Warner Bros. Discovery. With legal drama over WBD’s NBA rights deal with Amazon Prime adding a little extra tension, it’s anyone’s guess where AEW will land. One thing’s for sure: the world of wrestling media rights is turning into the biggest show in town, and we’ve all got front-row seats.