WWE’s move to Netflix remains a major talking point in the wrestling world as Raw adjusts to its new broadcasting home. Despite the lucrative multi-year agreement between the companies, former WWE writer Vince Russo believes the streaming giant could potentially end the partnership prematurely if viewership doesn’t meet expectations.
Raw debuted on Netflix in early January 2024, bringing new presentation flexibility for one of television’s longest-running weekly programs. The deal represents a significant portion of WWE’s revenue stream, which heavily relies on contracts with streaming platforms and television networks.
During a recent episode of the Coach & Bro Show, Russo drew a parallel to another major sports broadcasting situation to support his warning about the WWE-Netflix partnership.
We just saw ESPN opt out of the contract with Major League Baseball that still had three years left on it. So, if you don’t think for a second there aren’t loopholes in these contracts with Netflix, and Coach, 2.9 million people globally, and you’re #10 in Netflix. #10 this past week and if you think Netflix doesn’t have an opt-out?
Russo’s comments highlight the #10 ranking Raw recently achieved on Netflix’s global charts, suggesting this performance might not satisfy the streaming service’s expectations given the scale of their investment. His reference to ESPN’s early termination of their MLB agreement underscores the precedent for major media companies to exit sports broadcasting deals before completion.
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