WWE Network to Shutter in January as Netflix Preps Monday Night Raw Debut
Building off the momentum of the live boxing match between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul, Netflix and WWE announced that Monday Night Raw will debut on the streamer Jan. 6, 2025. Paul “Triple H” Levesque and Travis Scott shared the news with fans during Scott’s concert this past weekend in Las Vegas, adding that the rapper is supplying the new theme song for Raw.
Netflix promises a slate of stars when wrestling fans crank up the streaming app on premiere day, so you’ll be able to see John Cena, Roman Reigns, Bianca Belair, Cody Rhodes and “many other superstars and surprise guests.”
Tune in to watch the broadcast live from the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET on Jan. 6. If you’d rather attend the event in person, tickets will go on sale Friday, Nov. 22 at 10 a.m. PT (1 p.m. ET) via Ticketmaster. A presale kicks off Wednesday, Nov. 20 at 10 a.m. PT. You can sign up now for the presale by visiting WWE’s registration site.
In lock-step with the upcoming Netflix pivot, WWE has announced it will shut down the WWE Network come Jan. 1. The company’s streaming service first launched on Feb. 24. 2014 and reached 1.5 million subscribers in 2020 before moving to NBC Universal’s streaming platform Peacock.
“On January 1, 2025, WWE Network will no longer be available in your area,” WWE said in a statement sent to subscribers. “After January 1, Netflix will be the new exclusive home of WWE.”
A partnership between the streaming giant and WWE was initially announced in January this year, with Netflix saying that it will stream live weekly shows and flagship events from World Wrestling Entertainment, including WrestleMania, SmackDown, NXT, Summer Slam and Royal Rumble. Select programming will also stream for viewers outside of the US. Subscribers should look out for WWE programming beginning Jan. 1 in the lead-up to Monday Night Raw’s official premiere.
The launch of WWE on Netflix is the latest round of live-streaming sports on the platform. Following the mega boxing event on Nov. 15 that brought in 60 million households and streaming glitches, the streamer is set to host two Christmas Day NFL games. The Chiefs vs. Steelers will stream at 1 p.m. ET and the Ravens vs. Texans will broadcast at 4:30 p.m. ET, with Beyoncé set to perform during the halftime show for the latter.
Source: CNET