World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) just scored a 10-year, $5 billion Netflix deal beginning Jan. 2025 that will make the longtime streaming service the exclusive home of Monday Night RAW in the U.S., Canada, UK and Latin America, as well as the organization’s existing lineup of live events including WrestleMania, SummerSlam and Royal Rumble, among others.
Deadline first reported the agreement on Tuesday.
“This deal is transformative,” said Mark Shapiro, TKO President and COO. “It marries the can’t-miss WWE product with Netflix’s extraordinary global reach and locks in significant and predictable economics for many years. Our partnership fundamentally alters and strengthens the media landscape, dramatically expands the reach of WWE, and brings weekly live appointment viewing to Netflix.”
WWE recently merged with Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) under the TKO Group Holdings, Inc. (TKO) banner, with former pro wrestler and longtime mixed martial arts (MMA) fan Dwyane “The Rock” Johnson joining the TKO Board of Directors. Johnson has been a frequent collaborator with UFC in years past, though not everyone on the roster was jumping for joy.
“Being on the TKO Board of Directors, and taking full ownership of my name, ‘The Rock,’ is not only unprecedented, but incredibly inspiring as my crazy life is coming full circle,” Johnson said in a statement (via ESPN). “At my core, I’m a builder who builds for and serves the people, and [TKO CEO] Ari [Emanuel] is building something truly game-changing. I’m very motivated to help continue to globally expand our TKO, WWE, and UFC businesses as the worldwide leaders in sports and entertainment.”
WWE’s Netflix partnership is significant for UFC because the promotion is expected to begin negotiating a new streaming deal “within the next three to four months,” according to UFC CEO Dana White. Negotiations will be handled by the UFC’s parent company at TKO Group Holdings led by CEO Ari Emanuel, according to MMA Fighting.
UFC signed with the ESPN network back in 2018, a seven-year, 1.5 billion dollar agreement that seems like a bargain compared to what WWE was able to secure. UFC was originally expected to double its existing deal but the asking price may have just ballooned up even higher with the cash-tastic terms TKO locked up with Netflix.
Amazon and Apple TV could also become potential bidders for UFC’s live broadcast rights in 2025.