Professional wrestling remains an ever-popular spectacle in the U.S., with total television viewership often surpassing 2 million a show.
A VERIFY reader reached out to us on Facebook to ask if WWE wrestling is shutting down this year. The reader linked a post shared thousands of times that said “The WWE Network has been SHUT DOWN!”
THE QUESTION
Is WWE wrestling shutting down at the end of the year?
THE SOURCES
THE ANSWER
No, WWE wrestling is not shutting down at the end of the year.
WHAT WE FOUND
WWE wrestling is not shutting down at the end of 2024, or at any other time. The confusion comes from news reports about the WWE Network, which is the home of the WWE archive, and the organization’s new partnership with Netflix.
On Jan. 23, 2024, the WWE announced it entered a long-term partnership with Netflix to bring the WWE’s flagship program, “Raw,” to the streaming platform. Starting in January 2025, Netflix will be the exclusive home of “Raw” in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom and Latin America.
Currently, Raw airs on the USA Network and can also be found on NBCUniversal’s streaming service, Peacock.
According to a filing to the U.S. Securities and Exchanges Commission (SEC), the deal is initially for 10 years; however, Netflix has the option to cancel the deal after five years or extend it an additional 10 years.
Additionally, all other WWE shows and specials will move to Netflix for viewers outside of the United States. This part of the deal does not affect American viewers.
“Netflix will also become the home for all WWE shows and specials outside the U.S. as available, inclusive of Raw and WWE’s other weekly shows – SmackDown and NXT – as well as the company’s Premium Live Events, including WrestleMania, SummerSlam and Royal Rumble,” the joint press release from WWE and Netflix says. “WWE’s award-winning documentaries, original series and forthcoming projects will also be available on Netflix internationally beginning in 2025.”
The WWE Network, the streaming home for much of the WWE’s past and present programming, has been available on Peacock in the U.S. since 2021. The agreement between the WWE and Peacock keeps the WWE Network on the streaming platform through 2026, according to SEC documents.
Therefore, American viewers will have to go to Netflix to watch Raw beginning in January 2025, but will continue to find all other WWE programming on Peacock for at least another two years.
However, according to reports, the WWE Network will come to an end in countries outside of the U.S. next year when the deal with Netflix takes effect. This is why some headlines claim that the WWE Network will shut down at the end of the year.
“For most of the world, [Netflix is] going to be taking over the WWE Network,” Dave Meltzer, a professional wrestling reporter, said on a Jan. 25 Wrestling Observer Radio podcast episode. “The WWE Network itself, that exists outside the United States, that will be folding at the end of the year and Netflix will pick up the content.”
WWE did not respond to a request for comment.
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