WWE will stream online sooner than Netflix deal... and for free

(Image credit: Louis Grasse / PXimages / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

published 12 February 2024

At the end of last month, WWE and Netflix announced a ground-breaking deal whereby the streaming service will become the exclusive home to WWE Raw in the US and all WWE programming everywhere else in the world.

Even premium events, such as Wrestlemania, the Royal Rumble and SummerSlam will be hosted live on Netflix for subscribers in the UK, Ireland, Europe and many other countries. It's quite a shift to the multi-broadcaster deals that already exist.

The only issue for fans is that it doesn't kick-in until next January. Until then, Brits have to continue to pay for TNT Sports access and the WWE Network just to watch the weekly and monthly programming.

Thankfully there's another deal that's just been announced to keep us going in the meantime. A new WWE show will start in the spring and be available to stream live, but this time through X (formerly Twitter).

WWE Speed will be a short-form weekly series available to watch for free on the social network. It will feature exclusive matches that are each timed to run for 5-minutes or less – so offered in bitesized form.

The deal is set to run for two-years, so 104 episodes. If successful, there's every chance the contract will be extended.

The Hollywood Reporter reveals that this latest acquisition marks a continued push into entertainment by X. It has already announced several other new shows that will be exclusive to the platform – including exclusive series from former CNN anchor Don Lemon and sports personality Jim Rome.

The WWE itself has been going great guns since it merged with the UFC under the umbrella of new parent company TKO. The Netflix deal is unprecedented, while Wrestlemania 40 is cleverly subtitled "XL" amid claims it will be the biggest in the brand's history.

The main event is currently slated to be a title rematch between long-term Universal title holder Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes, although it's yet to be seen where The Rock fits into the story.

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