WWE made a groundbreaking move by shifting its broadcast home to Netflix starting January 6, 2025. However, Indian fans were unable to access WWE programming on Netflix due to existing media rights held by Sony Sports Network.
The much anticipated wait seems to be getting over as Netflix India has finally made the announcement.
Sony Sports Network's WWE Rights Expiry
Sony Sports Network had secured WWE’s media rights in 2020 through a fiveyear deal worth approximately $180200 million. With the contract set to expire in March 2025, reports suggest that Sony Sports Network is unlikely to renew the rights beyond this period.
WWE RAW to Stream on Netflix India
After confirming the transition, Netflix India officially announced the premiere date for WWE RAW on their platform. Following the expiration of Sony's contract on March 31, 2025, WWE RAW will begin streaming on Netflix India from April 1, 2025, a Tuesday.
As of now, there is no confirmation regarding the streaming platforms for WWE SmackDown and NXT in India once Sony’s contract ends.
Potential Impact on WWE's Viewership in India
The shift from traditional television to a digital platform raises concerns about WWE’s viewership in India. Television has played a crucial role in WWE’s success in the country, particularly among children who primarily watch WWE on TV and may not have access to Netflix.
Netflix’s track record with live sports is also under scrutiny. Their first live sports event, featuring Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson, experienced multiple crashes, raising doubts about the platform’s ability to handle live WWE programming smoothly.
Additionally, Netflix operates on a subscription based model, which may limit accessibility for a large segment of WWE’s Indian audience.
WWE RAW on Netflix – Latest Results
The latest episode of WWE RAW on Netflix featured several highprofile matches:
Penta defeated Ludwig Kaiser
The New Day (Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods) defeated The LWO (Rey Mysterio & Dragon Lee) in a Tag Team Match
Liv Morgan defeated IYO SKY via DQ in an Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match
CM Punk defeated Sami Zayn in an Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match
With WWE's transition to Netflix, it remains to be seen how the Indian audience adapts to this new streaming model and whether WWE’s digital future can maintain the popularity it enjoyed on traditional television.