Netflix UK getting free WWE treat US subscribers can only dream of

(Image credit: WWE / Getty Images)

published 27 January 2025

Quick Summary

One of WWE's biggest yearly events, the Royal Rumble, will be shown live on Netflix in the UK and other countries around the world this weeked.

However, fans in the US will also have to subscribe to Peacock to watch it there instead.

One of the biggest premium events in the WWE calendar takes place this coming Saturday, 1 February, and Netflix subscribers in the UK can watch it at no extra cost.

In fact, unless you live in the US, you can watch the event on Netflix in every other country where the streaming service is available. That's because the platform holds the rights to show WWE Raw, Smackdown, NXT and live PPV events everywhere save for the States.

Tickets for Royal Rumble 2025 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis go on sale Friday, Nov. 15 - YouTube

Watch On

Due to ongoing broadcast deals, only WWE Raw is available on Netflix US, while Peacock has the rights to show premium events live there. That means you'll need a separate subscription to watch it.

The event in question is the Royal Rumble – the biggest yearly PPV save for Summer Slam and, of course, Wrestlemania. It is essentially the first official stepping stone on the path to WWE's biggest extravaganza of the year, as the winners of the men's and women's Royal Rumble matches get to choose which title holder they want to fave at the "Showcase of the Immortals".

To win, a superstar has to survive until the end of a roughly two-hour match. 30 men and women enter the ring in their respective matches, and elimination only takes place if a competitor is thrown over the top rope and both of their feet touch the ground.

It is often a spectacular affair, with legendary wrestlers and even celebrities having been surprise entrants in the past.

The stream starts at 11pm in the UK. It is taking place in the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis this year, with the local start time listed as 6pm ET.

The WWE / Netflix deal was announced in January last year with the 6 January episode of WWE Raw being the first to be streamed live on the service. It is estimated to have cost Netflix $5 billion for the rights to WWE programming over the next decade.

It is thought that Raw viewing figures have settled to just under 4 million worldwide after a strong opening week that was closer to 6 million.

Considering it was achieving around 1.5 million towards the end of its run on the US Network (albeit in the States only), it has started strong.

TOPICS

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