Netflix executives report success in $5 billion WWE partnership

Netflix executives have expressed high satisfaction with the company’s ten-year, $5 billion partnership with WWE, which began in early 2025. Gabe Spitzer, Netflix’s Vice President of Global Live Sports and Entertainment, stated that the collaboration has met every expected metric within the United States, driven by a loyal fan base for weekly programming like Monday Night RAW.

Spitzer noted that international markets present significant growth potential. While the U.S. deal focuses on RAW, Netflix serves as the global home for all WWE content, including SmackDown, NXT, and monthly Premium Live Events such as WrestleMania and SummerSlam. The company is also exploring deeper integration, such as casting WWE superstars in Netflix scripted series and utilizing talent for sports-related broadcasts.

Despite the overall success, the partnership has faced recent challenges. An August 31 episode of RAW reportedly hit a viewership low, failing to appear in Netflix’s global or regional top 10 rankings. Some analysts suggest this may be due to a shorter, pre-taped runtime or lower-than-expected engagement. Additionally, there have been discussions regarding content standards, as Netflix aims to maintain more relaxed censorship rules compared to the stricter profanity and blood restrictions currently applied to WWE programming on the platform.