TKO's Mark Shapiro Explains WWE Pitch To Netflix

WWE is headed to Netflix in January 2025, with Monday Night RAW making the streaming service its home for those stateside for the next five years (in a deal which could be stretched to ten years), with all of WWE’s other programming heading to Netflix too for international fans including SmackDown, NXT and Premium Live Events. The talks with Netflix led to a multi-billion dollar deal being signed, which is very lucrative for WWE.

The president of TKO Holdings, Mark Shapiro, spoke at Leaders Week London, via Sports Business Journal, about his pitch to Netflix to bring WWE aboard to the streaming service. 

"It’s up your alley. Why don't you dip your toe in? It's not really live sports. It's scripted entertainment. It's fictional... It's very serial in nature. It's every single week. It's shown on Peacock to not just be a huge driver for acquisition but incredible on the retention side of things, because it's every single week, and therefore churn is reduced, at least given the WWE fans in universe.”

RAW’s move to Netflix begins with a January 6 premiere, in what is reportedly being planned to be one of the biggest episodes in the history of the show. 

H/T Fightful