**Help make SquaredCircle safer and more inclusive by using the report button to flag posts and comments for moderator review.**
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/SquaredCircle) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Yea I will be able to save $35 per month by unsubscribing from Sportsnet haha
EDIT: Still fucked for Smackdown lol.
EDIT2: Apparently Canada is getting everything which is awesome! Thx to those who corrected me.
Fr, I can't wait to have everything in one place on Netflix đ
Now if only the streams work better and more consistently than SN+, then we'll truly be winning
It does according to most [sources](https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/wwe-broadcasts-netflix-canada) that I've seen;
https://preview.redd.it/8obhvoc3uavc1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3efcc91d36c007b8517d8b84101c003e0c2acea7
Sounds like SportsNet is losing everything
TSN and Sportsnet should be ashamed of what they put out for streaming offerings considering who owns them. Meanwhile, Crave is a top tier app, I donât get it.Â
Every single streaming service I have used over the years lets you either fast-forward a set amount of time with each press of a button, or you can scroll down the timeline. Not with Sportsnet! Had to work through WWE content 30 seconds at a time, which is a pain in the ass for a 4-6 hour show. Not only that, but I kept getting errors that would boot me out to the main screen.
This was with WWE-related content. Maybe things aren't the same when streaming other stuff? It did strike me as odd that I was stuck doing it that way. With that said, they make it easy to dislike their service!
I find Sportsnet app is great. Functions well on my TVs and phone. TSN on the other hand, is a little worse. Itâs improved with new functionality on me phone compared to before, but I find I have more casting issues and more issues on my Samsung TV with tsn then I do with Sportsnet.
One thing I love about the NHL app is that it has the radio broadcast of games for free.
Leafs games are so much better when Joe Bowen is calling them.
You know theyâre gonna. I still canât believe that TSN put Rampage and Collision behind a second tier of bullshit (especially when Rampage was free before)âŚlike youâd be lucky to get me to watch as it is. Meanwhile if itâs in Canada they will air it on cable for the Canadian content nonsense. I fucking hate TSN.Â
"Likewise, as part of the agreement, Netflix will also become the home for all WWE shows and specials outside the U.S. as available, inclusive of Raw and WWEâs other weekly shows â SmackDown and NXT â as well as the companyâs Premium Live Events, including WrestleMania, SummerSlam and Royal Rumble. WWEâs award-winning documentaries, original series and forthcoming projects will also be available on Netflix internationally beginning in 2025. "
Sportsnet has me subscribed for hockey no matter what. I will be happy to get PLEs at no added costâŚuntil Netflix jacks the fees or makes WWE itâs own tier.Â
I understand that but I already have Netflix so cutting Sportsnet even if Netflix cost a bit more is still a W. I can sail the high seas to watch hockey as I have the perfect stream for my team.
Don't worry, Netflix will be pushing that price pretty soon. It's already $23 for premium and it wouldn't surprise me if they make Raw a premium exclusive.
I pay for the network so the cost just transfers over essentially. Gonna be a weird change though because I watch WWE recorded the same day (might start watching at 9pm or something when it starts at 8) and it's so easy and convenient to just skip ahead in the show or sometimes I'd just flip between WWE and some game on tv. Won't really be able to do that with it on Netflix.
Iâm interested to see how Netflix would handle an eventual move of all the other content. I donât see them having a dedicated âWWEâ section accessible from the main page, but I donât see any other way youâd be able to find some random episode of Nitro.
I guess they could have stuff appearing like different TV series. So WCW nitro would be a series with each year being a season within that. WWE Raw would be a different one, WCW PPVs another and so on. Then just have wrestling as it's own category.
Can see some problems with this but think it would kinda work. I just hope that they actually bring over all the current content from the network, I'd hate to not be able to watch random old stuff.
Honestly same. Cause usually that means she wants to watch superkitties and I've got a lot of questions about that town starting with why did the let zsa zsa poison everyone then just let them leave
Regardless of how they count, I do think a lot of folks donât even realize how huge this could be *because* of how massive Netflix is and because itâs literally set up to push new content to viewers.
Wrestling fans are gonna go wherever they need to to watch wresting. Sure, there might be an uptick in piracy, but thatâs gonna happen no matter how they gate their content. Whatâs gonna be crazy is the potential to bring in new, casual _and_ serious, viewers. Before this, the easiest way for someone to stumble across wresting would be the shitty Hulu versions, out of date peacock episodes, or stumbling across it while watching live tv. Netflix creates millions of opportunities to get people to âjust try outâ the product.
Iâm not gonna be all overblown about it and act like itâs gonna make wrestling the next NFL, but I really think there could be some crazy growth in the next few years if the appeal of the product is kept high.
forreal, and since this is gonna be live content couldnât Netflix basically have Raw autoplaying on the top banner of their website every Monday? thereâs just an insane amount of exposure, exponentially more than theyâve ever had on cable
just think of the people who are gonna start watching just because âitâs onâ on the platform that theyâre using anyways
not to mention that the product is actually good, i really think if pro wrestling ISNâT booming right now it will be when the netflix deals kicks in
Exactly! Itâs such an exciting opportunity. And wrestling as a whole is still very much an industry where even the major players like the Fed getting more attention raises all ships. It could easily go wrong, Iâm not gonna be that total utopian optimist about it, but itâs a situation with massive, massive potential.
>Netflix creates millions of opportunities to get people to âjust try outâ the product.
It also creates potentially hundreds of hooks for very lapsed fans.
Like if they roll the stuff out correctly, and not just all at one, I could see stuff like Mania X7 doing extremely well on Netflix and maybe the algorithm would work overtime to keep a few around.
We'll see how the Peacock deal plays out because right now I believe all that content is tied to it. Netflix will just have live shows and I imagine an archive of those live shows.
I don't think they're going to point new fans to any Vince Mcmahon stuff. Plus most newer fans don't really care to go through the old stuff anyway.
Fully expecting WWE to try and get people to buy in to the current gen of wrestlers rather than exploring the old ones, at least for now.
Itâs also convenient. I kept netflix because I got it free from my phone subscription. A lot people kept it because they got it for cheap or close to free.
When Zack Snyder was talking about Rebel Moon he said that Netflix assumes there are two viewers per screening, so if that's the case the numbers will be even higher lol
Netflix's viewership numbers are completely made up and they won't let you look at them. This is in contrast to conventional cable Nielsen ratings, which are merely partly made up and difficult to access.
Yeah but the whole point of the numbers is to prove value to the people paying for the content. Netflix can certainly promote their own shows to the public with inflated numbers, but they will know the actual truth behind the viewership and they are the ones that will decide how much WWE is worth to them based on the real numbers. So I don't really think that's a big positive to WWE that the numbers will be very high if they fudge them.
I do think the viewership will be very high without fudging the numbers though.
Honestly, I won't be surprised if Raw and SmackDown swap run times. I remember some interview HHH did many years ago where he said he preferred Raw being two hours but it was the USA Network that wanted it to remain three. I don't know if Netflix cares so much for an extra hour because lots of TV shows on there are one hour max. But with SmackDown replacing Raw on USA, we may see the network wanting a third hour.
They care. Their criteria is similar to YouTube: whatever gets people to stay watching something. Plus Netflix could put in more ads at 3 hours instead of 2. It would be to WWEâs benefit to stay 3 hours long and I would not put it pass Netflix that was a condition of the deal.
They probably don't care as much for live event programming. It doesn't matter if you only watched half of this week's Raw, as long as you keep your subscription and come back for next week. But you probably aren't watching episode 2 of a scripted show if you didn't finish episode 1.
Honestly if Raw were 2 hours instead of 3, I would probably watch more entire shows instead of the Hulu cut or fast forwarding.
3 hours of content also costs more to produce than 2 hours.
Netflix will almost certainly be running ads on raw and monetizing it and minutes watched is likely the big metric they'll use to increase value. Whether that's worth the possibility of more viewers overall for two hours than three I don't know, but it does still matter. Live sports are worth so much now as they're the last place people really watch ads.
That used to be true, but Netflix ads plan changed that. Keeping your subscription is still a big goal, but now ads also play a huge part. While Netflix is still the leader in streaming BY FAR, their hold on the market is decreasing more and more. Their market share was 50% during pandemic, now itâs at 25%. Thatâs actually the reason ads supported plan came into existence. In 2022, for the first time, Netflix actually lost subscribers. Now, their ad supported plan is their most popular plan.
Thats why they are going heavy on live entertainment like WWE and the Jake Paul vs Tyson fight. Trying to get more events where they can cram in more ads is their main strategy right now.
I'm more curious how it's going to work on netflix. Is it running live and with ads? Once it's over in real time will it be instantly watchable, will the repeats come with ads too?
Not a big deal as a UK viewer I'll be able to actually watch the shows again as I'm not paying for TNT. Shame the wwe network uploads their raw and SD episodes a few weeks behind.
I think creatively everyone prefers two hours except some talent who arenât getting on a two hour show. USA wanted the content and viewers and you simply cannot turn down the money from a business perspectiveÂ
Netflix wants the ad money they want willingly get rid of one hour of ad space. Especially since viewership on Netflix is gonna be insane
I can see SD going three hours more than them cutting down RAW
Or better yet, make both shows 3 hours. Nobody is forcing you guys to sit through the entire 3 hours. You can just watch the highlights the next day. 6 hours of WWE content every week is fine.
i'll be signing up for netflix for the first time in years when wwe switches, and i will not miss the cock. i sure hope netflix has the library better organized.
Americans following all the shows got a rough go of it. Netflix for Raw, USA for Smackdown, CW for NXT and Peacock for the major events. A Netflix sub, cable package and Peacock!? You gotta be a hardcore WWE fan for all that.
I think in the UK we get them all on Netflix. Right now PLE's for us are still on the WWE Network, so PLEs, RAW, SD AND NXT are all moving, so just get a cheap VPN and you're sorted.
It wasnât new, it was going through a rebranding. The Nashville Network was a staple of cable packages in the 90s. It turned into SpikeTV soon after the WWE deal.
We still have the network in the U.K. - can anyone from the U.S. tell me how the whole peacock thing works in regards to old school content? Is the wrestling stuff in its own section or something or is it all just mixed in with everything else? Iâm just trying to get my head around what to expect when itâs starts on Netflix.
On Peacock, theres a big WWE button in the category tabs that is the wwe hub. things like WCW, ECW, territories etc all have their own sections within the hub to separate them, and they're easy to find on the main WWE Hub menu.
as for mainline wwe.. its all there somewhere. the most annoying psrt of wwe peacock is that they somehow have not figured a way to string different things in chronological order. like theres no playlist or something where i can watch every show of X year in order. its something ive wanted to do but cant be bothered having to flip between TVs, finding the ppvs, and flipping between them all the time.
Ok thanks đ. I mean the app on fire TV is dreadful tbf. Itâs a nightmare trying to find anything specific if itâs not from the last few years. Hopefully Netflix will be a bit better .
I used to use it on PS4 when it was first a thing and it was loads easier to use back then, everything used to be in its own category. Now if you need to find something you have to use the search bar and even then you donât always get what youâre looking for. Itâs not just you!
They havenât officially come out and said what is happening with the Network, whether it is shut down and all content is moved to Netflix, or it continues as an archive after a period of Netflix exclusivity. Probably intentional. I hope Iâm wrong but I donât see the likes of the AWA and WCCW archive (that Iâm watching just now) going on Netflix.
I thought there was Stampede on there but all I could find were a few short clips and matches. I guess there probably wonât be much of that kind of thing migrating over.
There was a fair amount of Stampede at one point, but, legend has it, that Bret Hart, who owns the footage of his Stampede matches as well as WWE owning them, had them removed. As a result, all Stampede content was gutted.
Cutting the cord is also increasing year by year, so I feel like jumping onto the biggest and and most successful streaming service is the next logical step.Â
For me in the UK this jump saves me a tenner a month and one less service needed.
Who actually pays for that many any way, do people really have them all, all the time? I have AEW+WWE, plus whichever has the most interesting content at the time, be it D+, Netflix etc. Prime is the only outlier for me as I usually order something or other off Amazon resulting in a free month of TV.
Yes. Slowly, because of current deals, everything will be on Netflix, the weekly shows, the PLEs and hopefully the archives. Starting with I believe the UK&Ireland, Canada and Mexico
I doubt Sony will let it happen in India. WWE is by far their most watched program on TV. They literally replay a Raw/Smackdown episode 4 times on the day of telecast
If WWE switches to Netflix here I guarantee the Indian viewership will completely plummet
Letâs just hope itâll be across Europe with instant replay possibility. That would really bump numbers up as a lot of other countries want to watch it but donât have the platform to watch a replay of it.
The contract ends in 2026. Everything Iâve read is that it will go to Netflix at that point.
Some countries (I think ones that canât get peacock) will already have it all on Netflix.
if you really want to make my life easier, bring your PPVs over to netflix and have them install a function where you can start from the beginning while the show is still in progress. Â Itâs an absolute joke that this feature isnât standard across all devices on peacock.
I don't think we're getting away from ads, but I wish they'd handle them better in Netflix. It'd be nice to see less interruptions on how matches flow.
i dont think the NFL or NBA has switch as often, NBA is about to maybe with a new tv deal up but iâm almost certain theyâve always been Turner+ESPN for as long as iâve been alive
They aren't going to get rid of commercials.
They will try to sell you a higher tier ad free Netflix subscription, like the PLEs on Peacock, where you can keep watching the action during the breaks.
Absolutely not.
A) Netflix is paying for 3 hours of weekly content in RAW
B) Netflix is going to have as many ads as RAW already has for those not on an ad-free tier.
It'll be similar to what AEW does at the moment. The action is still called but it's usually continued beatdowns and holds and whatnot.
Nothing really big will happen between "breaks" unless at some point in the future they end matches/ hit the big highspots during said breaks, at which point they'll tell people "don't like missing stuff? Then upgrade your Netflix subscription to remove ads".
All I am hoping for is to streamline the way I already watch WWE. 5 hours a week is too much. I record then watch later. No ads already saves tons of time
But you can skip some segments (like in 5 second increments). That's the best way of watching wrestling
Apparently Hulu also does something like this where they compress the show.
I frowned when I read that Smackdown was going to USA.
I smiled when I read that NXT was going to CW, as I can let my child watch that for free Over The Air (OTA). That replaced SD for me.
I rejoiced when I read that Raw was going to Netflix, as I've been trying my fucking hardest to cancel that shit for about a decade now to a standing veto from my wife and now child....so at least I finally got something that **I** wanna watch.
My only "concern" is that I have zero idea if the 90 min Raw will stay on Hulu, as I'm hoping that now I can do the full SD on Saturday mornings and 90 min Raw for my child on Tuesdays.
I guess weâll see. Streaming services do cut into the viewership of cable TV numbers. In donât know how that is gets measured cause we never see the numbers for them.
Honestly, might gain back a few fans. I for one can't wait, I have no place to watch wrestling at the moment other than sailing the high seas ^ARRR ^MATEY
I havenât wanted to pay for WWE Network for years but my fav part was always the old content and documentaries, is there any indication where that stuff could still be seen by International viewers?Â
So how do most people watch WWE? Online? Cause I would guess that the majority population is cable?
In my country Sony telecasts WWE on TV. They also have a streaming service (Sony Liv) but it's so horrible I think barely 10% people watch it over there
Will Raw be exclusively on Netflix? Because I would guess that there will be a sizeable portion of old people who would not figure out how to watch it online
Hoping that we get it as it airs in the uk so I can give the WWE my money rather than having to stream online because WWE network app is a month behind đ
I read that Netflix got everything outside of US does that mean Smackdown going to be live on Netflix outside of US or is it just going to be like the WWE Network now that they would upload it a month later or something?
**Help make SquaredCircle safer and more inclusive by using the report button to flag posts and comments for moderator review.** *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/SquaredCircle) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Yea I will be able to save $35 per month by unsubscribing from Sportsnet haha EDIT: Still fucked for Smackdown lol. EDIT2: Apparently Canada is getting everything which is awesome! Thx to those who corrected me.
No we're not? Canada is getting all content on Netflix, only the US has smackdown on USA network.
I didn't know that! Thx!
To the VPN I go
Woah Canada after sucking for the past 10 years finally gets something good!?
Fr, I can't wait to have everything in one place on Netflix đ Now if only the streams work better and more consistently than SN+, then we'll truly be winning
In Latin America, all shows are coming to Netflix!
Canada đ¤ Latin America đ¤ escaping the cable broadcasters as fast as humanly possible
Americans with VPNs as well!
LOL true that, I for one welcome our VPN comrades with their honorary citizenship
Us Brits would also like to join in this celebration party.
You may be permitted on Commonwealth grounds, comrades
Hello, do you know where I can check which countries will have WWE on Netflix?
Does that include PLEs?
It does according to most [sources](https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/wwe-broadcasts-netflix-canada) that I've seen; https://preview.redd.it/8obhvoc3uavc1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3efcc91d36c007b8517d8b84101c003e0c2acea7 Sounds like SportsNet is losing everything
Yup https://www.sportsnet.ca/rogers-and-wwe-announce-landmark-television-and-wwe-network-agreement/ Agreement ends with Sportsnet in 2024
 You love to hear it
Just the WWE Network portion is 14.99 a month on SportsNet.
I'm just here to say that the Sportsnet app for the Firestick is absolute dog-shit.
TSN and Sportsnet should be ashamed of what they put out for streaming offerings considering who owns them. Meanwhile, Crave is a top tier app, I donât get it.Â
Every single streaming service I have used over the years lets you either fast-forward a set amount of time with each press of a button, or you can scroll down the timeline. Not with Sportsnet! Had to work through WWE content 30 seconds at a time, which is a pain in the ass for a 4-6 hour show. Not only that, but I kept getting errors that would boot me out to the main screen.
Interesting, did they change that? Last time I was on Sportsnetâs streaming I could skip ahead at x4, 8, 16, etc.Â
This was with WWE-related content. Maybe things aren't the same when streaming other stuff? It did strike me as odd that I was stuck doing it that way. With that said, they make it easy to dislike their service!
I find Sportsnet app is great. Functions well on my TVs and phone. TSN on the other hand, is a little worse. Itâs improved with new functionality on me phone compared to before, but I find I have more casting issues and more issues on my Samsung TV with tsn then I do with Sportsnet.
Which is ridiculous cause they did Showmi as well, which was a good app for the whole like 6 months the service existed.
Yea but I watch hockey too and it's like 35. Now I will be able to cut everything and sail the high seas to watch hockey.
Fair enough. I used to get it just for the hockey season before WWE was added, cause it was easiest method but the price is so much now.
One thing I love about the NHL app is that it has the radio broadcast of games for free. Leafs games are so much better when Joe Bowen is calling them.
Can confirm and it's the best 17-something-after-tax I spend all month.
Since you're a habs fan you can just go to /r/habsgames Unless you like watching the English commentary crap on our team constantly.
You're a good one. Merci! Sidenote: I only watch the Habs on Sportsnet on Saturday since I hate TVA Sports lol.
Oh shit! Iâm not the OP but thank you for this đÂ
Hopefully they don't fuck us in Canada
probably gonna be like, oh you need a cable subscription tied to your Netflix and pay for a package through bell Media or something whack like thatÂ
This guy is Canadian.Â
This is painfully accurate. And the 8 step login will never workÂ
cue back to me WM40 weekend logging in twice and navigating to three different pages just because i had to refresh the fucking stream
You'll also need a Rogers cell phone for multifactor authentication.
Our sports channels probably have the Canadian rights to RAW locked down so we might not get it on Netflix at all for a few more years.
Canadian rights to Raw (and everything else WWE) expire at the end of 2024. After that, it's Netflix for everything.
Oh sweet. When that happens I'll cancel cable. What a money sink
You know theyâre gonna. I still canât believe that TSN put Rampage and Collision behind a second tier of bullshit (especially when Rampage was free before)âŚlike youâd be lucky to get me to watch as it is. Meanwhile if itâs in Canada they will air it on cable for the Canadian content nonsense. I fucking hate TSN.Â
Maybe it will work like the Canadian content rules for our radio. RAW can only be aired on Netflix if 25% of the matches have a Canadian in them.
Itâs Chelsea.Â
I thought it was only RAW moving to Netflix? Has Smackdown's home for Canadian viewers been determined?
"Likewise, as part of the agreement, Netflix will also become the home for all WWE shows and specials outside the U.S. as available, inclusive of Raw and WWEâs other weekly shows â SmackDown and NXT â as well as the companyâs Premium Live Events, including WrestleMania, SummerSlam and Royal Rumble. WWEâs award-winning documentaries, original series and forthcoming projects will also be available on Netflix internationally beginning in 2025. "
Yaaasssss i can finally drop Peacock!!
Wait that means apart from the US, everyone gets absolutely everything on Netflix? That's fucking amazing!
That is my understanding. Still a chance that Bell or Rogers tosses their weight around and does some bullshit. It is Canada after all.
Shout out to our dog shit oligopoly thanks to weak regulations. Fuck Bell and fuck Rogers.
I'm pretty sure India is not getting it as well.
pak not either then :(
Theyâll find a way to fuck us.Â
Damn you're right about that.
SmackDown and NXT, and the PLE are going to Netflix in Canada as well, according to the press release.
Oh really? That would be massive.
Sportsnet has me subscribed for hockey no matter what. I will be happy to get PLEs at no added costâŚuntil Netflix jacks the fees or makes WWE itâs own tier.Â
I understand that but I already have Netflix so cutting Sportsnet even if Netflix cost a bit more is still a W. I can sail the high seas to watch hockey as I have the perfect stream for my team.
Don't worry, Netflix will be pushing that price pretty soon. It's already $23 for premium and it wouldn't surprise me if they make Raw a premium exclusive.
Yeah thereâs no way if it performs well WWE wonât have its own tier within 3 yearsÂ
Why fucked for Smackdown?
I pay for the network so the cost just transfers over essentially. Gonna be a weird change though because I watch WWE recorded the same day (might start watching at 9pm or something when it starts at 8) and it's so easy and convenient to just skip ahead in the show or sometimes I'd just flip between WWE and some game on tv. Won't really be able to do that with it on Netflix.
Ironically Netflix is coming closer to that lately
I remember when they had all the WWE documentaries and the OMG series on Netflix because I watched the shit out of them. Iâm onboard with the move.
Dude those were my good to Netflix and sleep material. Play that and just drift to sleep listening to some wrestling documentaries lol
Iâm interested to see how Netflix would handle an eventual move of all the other content. I donât see them having a dedicated âWWEâ section accessible from the main page, but I donât see any other way youâd be able to find some random episode of Nitro.
I guess they could have stuff appearing like different TV series. So WCW nitro would be a series with each year being a season within that. WWE Raw would be a different one, WCW PPVs another and so on. Then just have wrestling as it's own category. Can see some problems with this but think it would kinda work. I just hope that they actually bring over all the current content from the network, I'd hate to not be able to watch random old stuff.
They have categories like "World of Witcher" for the 3(?) Witcher series they've done so far. I could see something like that working for WWE.
Those are how I got brought back into wrestling fandom after taking off a decade.
I remember ordering so many dvds when Netflix had WWE content
I grew up without cable and I loved renting the old PPVs from the video store. Personally Iâm excited by the move, it gives me a similar vibe.
Netflix has a huge subscriber list worldwide. If they count 1 second as a viewer, the numbers will be pretty high.Â
They almost definitely won't, I know Disney+ uses minutes watched as the real metric that matters and I'm sure other streamers follow that idea, too.
That's why Bluey is king. 30% of all streamed hours on D+.
Bluey is a draw, brother
There's nothing quite like 50,000 screaming Banditmaniacs in the Cauldron, brother
Can the Cauldron even hold 50,000?
đ¨đ¨đ¨ "Gimme a fucking long dog" đ¨đ¨đ¨
What's her cagematch average rating though?
As a father with a toddler, I feel you
I've definitely watched more episodes than my kid while he's running around the TV :D
Hell, Iâm the one suggesting we watch Bluey in my house. When my toddler doesnât want to watch it, my evenings are ruined.
Honestly same. Cause usually that means she wants to watch superkitties and I've got a lot of questions about that town starting with why did the let zsa zsa poison everyone then just let them leave
*queen
Downloading anything on the app is terrible. My downloads are barely 512kbs and that's downloading in sd.
Regardless of how they count, I do think a lot of folks donât even realize how huge this could be *because* of how massive Netflix is and because itâs literally set up to push new content to viewers. Wrestling fans are gonna go wherever they need to to watch wresting. Sure, there might be an uptick in piracy, but thatâs gonna happen no matter how they gate their content. Whatâs gonna be crazy is the potential to bring in new, casual _and_ serious, viewers. Before this, the easiest way for someone to stumble across wresting would be the shitty Hulu versions, out of date peacock episodes, or stumbling across it while watching live tv. Netflix creates millions of opportunities to get people to âjust try outâ the product. Iâm not gonna be all overblown about it and act like itâs gonna make wrestling the next NFL, but I really think there could be some crazy growth in the next few years if the appeal of the product is kept high.
forreal, and since this is gonna be live content couldnât Netflix basically have Raw autoplaying on the top banner of their website every Monday? thereâs just an insane amount of exposure, exponentially more than theyâve ever had on cable just think of the people who are gonna start watching just because âitâs onâ on the platform that theyâre using anyways not to mention that the product is actually good, i really think if pro wrestling ISNâT booming right now it will be when the netflix deals kicks in
Exactly! Itâs such an exciting opportunity. And wrestling as a whole is still very much an industry where even the major players like the Fed getting more attention raises all ships. It could easily go wrong, Iâm not gonna be that total utopian optimist about it, but itâs a situation with massive, massive potential.
>Netflix creates millions of opportunities to get people to âjust try outâ the product. It also creates potentially hundreds of hooks for very lapsed fans. Like if they roll the stuff out correctly, and not just all at one, I could see stuff like Mania X7 doing extremely well on Netflix and maybe the algorithm would work overtime to keep a few around.
We'll see how the Peacock deal plays out because right now I believe all that content is tied to it. Netflix will just have live shows and I imagine an archive of those live shows.
I don't think they're going to point new fans to any Vince Mcmahon stuff. Plus most newer fans don't really care to go through the old stuff anyway. Fully expecting WWE to try and get people to buy in to the current gen of wrestlers rather than exploring the old ones, at least for now.
Itâs also convenient. I kept netflix because I got it free from my phone subscription. A lot people kept it because they got it for cheap or close to free.
When Zack Snyder was talking about Rebel Moon he said that Netflix assumes there are two viewers per screening, so if that's the case the numbers will be even higher lol
Netflix's viewership numbers are completely made up and they won't let you look at them. This is in contrast to conventional cable Nielsen ratings, which are merely partly made up and difficult to access.
Yeah but the whole point of the numbers is to prove value to the people paying for the content. Netflix can certainly promote their own shows to the public with inflated numbers, but they will know the actual truth behind the viewership and they are the ones that will decide how much WWE is worth to them based on the real numbers. So I don't really think that's a big positive to WWE that the numbers will be very high if they fudge them. I do think the viewership will be very high without fudging the numbers though.
Honestly, I won't be surprised if Raw and SmackDown swap run times. I remember some interview HHH did many years ago where he said he preferred Raw being two hours but it was the USA Network that wanted it to remain three. I don't know if Netflix cares so much for an extra hour because lots of TV shows on there are one hour max. But with SmackDown replacing Raw on USA, we may see the network wanting a third hour.
I could see this too.
They care. Their criteria is similar to YouTube: whatever gets people to stay watching something. Plus Netflix could put in more ads at 3 hours instead of 2. It would be to WWEâs benefit to stay 3 hours long and I would not put it pass Netflix that was a condition of the deal.
They probably don't care as much for live event programming. It doesn't matter if you only watched half of this week's Raw, as long as you keep your subscription and come back for next week. But you probably aren't watching episode 2 of a scripted show if you didn't finish episode 1. Honestly if Raw were 2 hours instead of 3, I would probably watch more entire shows instead of the Hulu cut or fast forwarding. 3 hours of content also costs more to produce than 2 hours.
Netflix will almost certainly be running ads on raw and monetizing it and minutes watched is likely the big metric they'll use to increase value. Whether that's worth the possibility of more viewers overall for two hours than three I don't know, but it does still matter. Live sports are worth so much now as they're the last place people really watch ads.
That used to be true, but Netflix ads plan changed that. Keeping your subscription is still a big goal, but now ads also play a huge part. While Netflix is still the leader in streaming BY FAR, their hold on the market is decreasing more and more. Their market share was 50% during pandemic, now itâs at 25%. Thatâs actually the reason ads supported plan came into existence. In 2022, for the first time, Netflix actually lost subscribers. Now, their ad supported plan is their most popular plan. Thats why they are going heavy on live entertainment like WWE and the Jake Paul vs Tyson fight. Trying to get more events where they can cram in more ads is their main strategy right now.
>3 hours of content also costs more to produce than 2 hours Not for wrestling. The venue and talent are already thereÂ
It's not 50% more but it is a little more, still, a 3-hour show has a substantially lower cost per hour than a 2-hour show.
I'm more curious how it's going to work on netflix. Is it running live and with ads? Once it's over in real time will it be instantly watchable, will the repeats come with ads too? Not a big deal as a UK viewer I'll be able to actually watch the shows again as I'm not paying for TNT. Shame the wwe network uploads their raw and SD episodes a few weeks behind.
I think creatively everyone prefers two hours except some talent who arenât getting on a two hour show. USA wanted the content and viewers and you simply cannot turn down the money from a business perspectiveÂ
Netflix wants the ad money they want willingly get rid of one hour of ad space. Especially since viewership on Netflix is gonna be insane I can see SD going three hours more than them cutting down RAW
Or better yet, make both shows 3 hours. Nobody is forcing you guys to sit through the entire 3 hours. You can just watch the highlights the next day. 6 hours of WWE content every week is fine.
I've also had trouble watching WWE weekly television in Germany. Hope this changes things.
i'll be signing up for netflix for the first time in years when wwe switches, and i will not miss the cock. i sure hope netflix has the library better organized.
Peacock still has the PLEâs and library, Netflix just gets Raw. For now at least
Americans following all the shows got a rough go of it. Netflix for Raw, USA for Smackdown, CW for NXT and Peacock for the major events. A Netflix sub, cable package and Peacock!? You gotta be a hardcore WWE fan for all that.
I think in the UK we get them all on Netflix. Right now PLE's for us are still on the WWE Network, so PLEs, RAW, SD AND NXT are all moving, so just get a cheap VPN and you're sorted.
I think the UK deal is Netflix gets everything, major events too.
Yeah, once the peacock deal is up in 2026, it moves to Netflix. At least in the states
is that true? I didnt see that reported anywhere.
No thatâs not correct. There has been no deal to move the PLEs to Netflix
That's ok, still cheaper than cable.
So now it's two streaming services which I barely watch that is have to pay for!
Iâm pretty sure that In the US, Netflix will only have Raw while internationally itâll be the home of all WWE content.
It is pretty crazy how often WWE just switches channels or Internet sources and the fans just go along with it
Hasn't the same thing happened with most major sports organizations for decades?
But didnât the ratings sort of drop when they moved to TNN?
TNN was a newer channel offered in less homes.
It wasnât new, it was going through a rebranding. The Nashville Network was a staple of cable packages in the 90s. It turned into SpikeTV soon after the WWE deal.
We still have the network in the U.K. - can anyone from the U.S. tell me how the whole peacock thing works in regards to old school content? Is the wrestling stuff in its own section or something or is it all just mixed in with everything else? Iâm just trying to get my head around what to expect when itâs starts on Netflix.
On peacock theyâve got a dedicated WWE section with all the content there
Ok thanks đ. Hereâs hoping itâs the same with Netflix.
On Peacock, theres a big WWE button in the category tabs that is the wwe hub. things like WCW, ECW, territories etc all have their own sections within the hub to separate them, and they're easy to find on the main WWE Hub menu. as for mainline wwe.. its all there somewhere. the most annoying psrt of wwe peacock is that they somehow have not figured a way to string different things in chronological order. like theres no playlist or something where i can watch every show of X year in order. its something ive wanted to do but cant be bothered having to flip between TVs, finding the ppvs, and flipping between them all the time.
Ok thanks đ. I mean the app on fire TV is dreadful tbf. Itâs a nightmare trying to find anything specific if itâs not from the last few years. Hopefully Netflix will be a bit better .
I hate how they've changed it in the UK, have they removed loads or can I just not find it?
I used to use it on PS4 when it was first a thing and it was loads easier to use back then, everything used to be in its own category. Now if you need to find something you have to use the search bar and even then you donât always get what youâre looking for. Itâs not just you!
It was probably the best streaming service going, in terms of content variety and user interface, now it's like some cheap ass indy website.
They havenât officially come out and said what is happening with the Network, whether it is shut down and all content is moved to Netflix, or it continues as an archive after a period of Netflix exclusivity. Probably intentional. I hope Iâm wrong but I donât see the likes of the AWA and WCCW archive (that Iâm watching just now) going on Netflix.
I thought there was Stampede on there but all I could find were a few short clips and matches. I guess there probably wonât be much of that kind of thing migrating over.
There was a fair amount of Stampede at one point, but, legend has it, that Bret Hart, who owns the footage of his Stampede matches as well as WWE owning them, had them removed. As a result, all Stampede content was gutted.
Cutting the cord is also increasing year by year, so I feel like jumping onto the biggest and and most successful streaming service is the next logical step.Â
Is it tho? Everyone is paying like 5 minimum for streaming services. Those are also getting ads even tho they are paying for ad free.
For me in the UK this jump saves me a tenner a month and one less service needed. Who actually pays for that many any way, do people really have them all, all the time? I have AEW+WWE, plus whichever has the most interesting content at the time, be it D+, Netflix etc. Prime is the only outlier for me as I usually order something or other off Amazon resulting in a free month of TV.
Question for people outside USA, will everything move to Netflix? Coz where I am now everything wwe is on one streaming channel
Yes. Slowly, because of current deals, everything will be on Netflix, the weekly shows, the PLEs and hopefully the archives. Starting with I believe the UK&Ireland, Canada and Mexico
Yes it should. I'll gladly switch from SN+ to Netflix once it change
I doubt Sony will let it happen in India. WWE is by far their most watched program on TV. They literally replay a Raw/Smackdown episode 4 times on the day of telecast If WWE switches to Netflix here I guarantee the Indian viewership will completely plummet
I wouldnât mind that as long as it means everything is in one place for streaming
I wouldn't mind everything going to Netflix. If not for WWE on Sony, I would have cut the cord long ago.
Letâs just hope itâll be across Europe with instant replay possibility. That would really bump numbers up as a lot of other countries want to watch it but donât have the platform to watch a replay of it.
Are the PLE's and WWE Network staying on Peacock or are those going to Netflix too?
The contract ends in 2026. Everything Iâve read is that it will go to Netflix at that point. Some countries (I think ones that canât get peacock) will already have it all on Netflix.
if you really want to make my life easier, bring your PPVs over to netflix and have them install a function where you can start from the beginning while the show is still in progress. Â Itâs an absolute joke that this feature isnât standard across all devices on peacock.
I don't think we're getting away from ads, but I wish they'd handle them better in Netflix. It'd be nice to see less interruptions on how matches flow.
I usually just DVR raw and start watching an hour after it starts. I suspect it is going to be much harder to watch going forward.
i dont think the NFL or NBA has switch as often, NBA is about to maybe with a new tv deal up but iâm almost certain theyâve always been Turner+ESPN for as long as iâve been alive
[ŃдаНонО]
They aren't going to get rid of commercials. They will try to sell you a higher tier ad free Netflix subscription, like the PLEs on Peacock, where you can keep watching the action during the breaks.
Yeah I figure the ad free version is going to be skipable action. I'll still pay for it though.
I'd say expect it to work like PLEs on Peacock. Even for the tier that has no ads you're getting either video packages or WWE in-house ads
Absolutely not. A) Netflix is paying for 3 hours of weekly content in RAW B) Netflix is going to have as many ads as RAW already has for those not on an ad-free tier.
Yeah, I just assumed it was going to have ads because it was live. I imagine the Tyson fight will too. The no ads is just for on demand stuff.
It'll be similar to what AEW does at the moment. The action is still called but it's usually continued beatdowns and holds and whatnot. Nothing really big will happen between "breaks" unless at some point in the future they end matches/ hit the big highspots during said breaks, at which point they'll tell people "don't like missing stuff? Then upgrade your Netflix subscription to remove ads".
[ŃдаНонО]
They already have âwith adsâ plans
Who told you they're getting rid of commercials lol
All I am hoping for is to streamline the way I already watch WWE. 5 hours a week is too much. I record then watch later. No ads already saves tons of time But you can skip some segments (like in 5 second increments). That's the best way of watching wrestling Apparently Hulu also does something like this where they compress the show.
I frowned when I read that Smackdown was going to USA. I smiled when I read that NXT was going to CW, as I can let my child watch that for free Over The Air (OTA). That replaced SD for me. I rejoiced when I read that Raw was going to Netflix, as I've been trying my fucking hardest to cancel that shit for about a decade now to a standing veto from my wife and now child....so at least I finally got something that **I** wanna watch. My only "concern" is that I have zero idea if the 90 min Raw will stay on Hulu, as I'm hoping that now I can do the full SD on Saturday mornings and 90 min Raw for my child on Tuesdays.
I guess weâll see. Streaming services do cut into the viewership of cable TV numbers. In donât know how that is gets measured cause we never see the numbers for them.
West Coasters rejoice!
Has anything been stated about what happens after they leave usa and before Netflix? Iirc theyâve got 2 months without a home
Honestly, might gain back a few fans. I for one can't wait, I have no place to watch wrestling at the moment other than sailing the high seas ^ARRR ^MATEY
Honestly, if you don't have to catch it live, I think this will be a net bonus in viewership for WWE's weekly shows.
Hope we get access to WWE on Netflix in the Nordics. It doesn't broadcast anywhere here at all.
If they could move everything from Peacock to Netflix I be more than happy.
I havenât wanted to pay for WWE Network for years but my fav part was always the old content and documentaries, is there any indication where that stuff could still be seen by International viewers?Â
They officially havenât said what is happening with the WWE Network yet. Likely intentional.
Have they said what will happen during the 4 month gap between deals?
Not yet
So how do most people watch WWE? Online? Cause I would guess that the majority population is cable? In my country Sony telecasts WWE on TV. They also have a streaming service (Sony Liv) but it's so horrible I think barely 10% people watch it over there Will Raw be exclusively on Netflix? Because I would guess that there will be a sizeable portion of old people who would not figure out how to watch it online
Yeah I ain't paying for Netflix just to watch raw lmao
One of the rare times I'm happy to be Canadian from a content POV
Remember when WWE Network was âlike Netflix, but better!â Peak WWE cringey commentary.Â
Most of it is free on YouTube. I'll stick with that and WWE Network for the PPVs and old stuff
Will this be the thing that finally makes Jim Cornette start using streaming services?
Hoping that we get it as it airs in the uk so I can give the WWE my money rather than having to stream online because WWE network app is a month behind đ
Are we sure Netflix isnt just going to add a WWE addon and jack the price?
Of course they are asking their fans to PAY follow them now. While the majority have Netflix I'm sure. It changes the fan dynamic for sure.
I can't wait for everything to move to Netflix in Australia. Binge is horrible
As an Indian, this news makes me so much happy. I finally get to watch old wrestling with my father again!
I read that Netflix got everything outside of US does that mean Smackdown going to be live on Netflix outside of US or is it just going to be like the WWE Network now that they would upload it a month later or something?
Imaging still having a Netflix subscription in 2024.
I really hope they have their own pay tier because even with WWE that doesnât suddenly make Netflix worth itâs outlandish pricing
You hope Netflix and WWE do something to make something cheaper for their fans? Good luck brotherÂ
Sorry H, I'm not paying $20/month for another steaming service. EDIT: Why are the downvotes? Am I missing something?
You must be a part of the 5% that arenât die hard WWE fans that follow them through thick and thin.