Endeavor and TKO President Mark Shapiro recently shared how WWE pitched Netflix for a significant 10-year deal, bringing Monday Night Raw to the streaming giant. This move marks WWE’s debut on Netflix, kicking off on January 6. Source: Sports Business Journal.
- WWE initially approached Netflix about its NXT brand, but eventually secured a 10-year, $5 billion deal for Monday Night Raw.
- Mark Shapiro highlighted the uniqueness of WWE’s content as “scripted entertainment” that could reduce viewer churn, convincing Netflix to take the plunge.
- WWE’s Chief Content Officer, Paul “Triple H” Levesque, emphasized WWE’s “turnkey” production capability, making Netflix confident in the content delivery.
WWE, known for its dominance in the sports entertainment world, has officially announced a monumental deal with Netflix, marking a major step forward in its distribution strategy. The partnership sees WWE’s flagship show, Monday Night Raw, moving to the streaming giant on January 6—a bold step for both Netflix and WWE.
Endeavor and TKO President and COO, Mark Shapiro, took to the stage during Leaders Week London to discuss how WWE made its successful pitch to Netflix. Initially, WWE approached Netflix about its developmental brand, NXT, pitching it as a test run for WWE’s type of entertainment. However, the eventual outcome far exceeded those expectations, with a $5 billion, 10-year agreement for Monday Night Raw.
Shapiro acknowledged that it was not an easy sell, especially since Netflix had not yet entered the live sports domain in any significant way. He described the pitch as emphasizing that WWE wasn’t a traditional live sport; rather, it was “scripted entertainment.” This approach, combined with the weekly, serialized nature of WWE content, proved to be a convincing angle for Netflix, which was eager to explore new avenues for subscriber engagement and retention.
WWE’s Chief Content Officer, Paul “Triple H” Levesque, also shared insights into the company’s confidence in handling this transition. He highlighted WWE’s fully self-sufficient production capabilities. Unlike many other live sports, WWE takes care of its own production, simply needing Netflix to broadcast the signal—something that made the streaming giant more comfortable in taking on the challenge.
In addition to Monday Night Raw’s upcoming Netflix debut, the streaming platform is making bigger moves into live entertainment. Netflix co-CEO Greg Peters noted the importance of expanding into live events, mentioning the WWE deal alongside other sports events, including the Tyson/Paul fight in November and an NFL Christmas doubleheader. The deal is a bold move that sets the stage for future collaborations between WWE and Netflix, potentially transforming how live sports entertainment reaches audiences.
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| WWE | World Wrestling Entertainment, a professional wrestling company known for its live shows and entertainment events. |
| Netflix | A global streaming service offering a wide range of films, TV shows, and now live sports content. |
| Mark Shapiro | The President and COO of Endeavor and TKO, involved in the WWE-Netflix deal. |
| Endeavor | A holding company that owns the UFC and WWE, among other entertainment properties. |
| Paul “Triple H” Levesque | WWE’s Chief Content Officer and a former professional wrestler known as Triple H. |
| Leaders Week London | An industry conference where leaders from the sports and entertainment sectors share insights. |
| Monday Night Raw | WWE’s flagship weekly television show, known for its live wrestling matches and storylines. |
| Scripted Entertainment | Pre-planned and produced shows that follow a storyline, unlike traditional competitive sports. |
| Greg Peters | Co-CEO of Netflix, involved in expanding the streaming platform’s live entertainment offerings. |
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