When WWE first announced its agreement for Netflix to become the exclusive home of WWE Raw at the start of 2025, it left some uncertainty surrounding the short-term future of the show. With WWE’s current deal with USA Network set to expire at the end of September and the Netflix deal not kicking in until January, that left at least three months on the calendar in which Raw‘s home was unknown.
But with less than five months to go until the end of WWE’s deal with USA Network for Raw, a resolution has been reached.
Ahead of its corporate earnings call on Wednesday, WWE’s parent company, TKO Group Holdings, announced that it has reached a $25 million extension with USA Network for the cable channel to remain the home of Raw until the Netflix deal kicks in. That means that from October-December, USA Network will be the home of WWE’s two flagship shows, with SmackDown returning to the cable channel following a five-year run on Fox.
Keeping Raw on USA was likely the most appealing option for WWE, as it means minimal disruption between now and the start of the start of the Netflix deal next January. For USA, the extension not only means keeping one of cable’s top-rated weekly shows on its airwaves for another three months, but it also strengthens its long-term partnership with WWE, which will continue throughout the five-year, $1.4 billion deal for SmackDown that kicks in this fall.
All things considered, this appears to be a win-win and allows WWE to avoid the unenviable task of having to find a temporary home for its flagship show when everyone knows it’s moving to Netflix in a matter of months (plus the $25 million in additional revenue). Moving forward, the next biggest question regarding Raw‘s future is whether it will remain on Monday nights when the Netflix deal kicks in.
[TKO]
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.