WWE Raw won’t air on USA Network during period between TV deals

  • Ian Carey
  • By 
WWE on Netflix

It’s unclear where WWE Raw will air in the final months of 2024. 

The USA Network’s rights deal for the show expires on September 30. However, WWE’s deal with Netflix does not begin until January 2025. Our own Dave Meltzer addressed this issue on Wrestling Observer Radio and during an appearance on Pollock and Thurston on Wednesday.  

Meltzer said on WOR: 

I guess the unanswered question is what happens to Raw after the end of September of this year because in January it’s going to Netflix, at the end of September the contract is up. USA Network has told Brandon Thurston that they’re not airing it after the end of September, so it’s not like they are going to go three more months on USA. WWE told me that they will make an announcment relatively soon about that. I guess they have something, what it is, I don’t know. Maybe they’ll go on Netflix early, I’m not really sure. 

Meltzer also addressed the future of the WWE Network internationally as a result of the deal with Netflix. He noted that with Netflix picking up the content carried on the streaming service, the network will be shutting down at the end of 2024. 

Meltzer continued:

For most of the world, (Netflix) is going to be taking over the WWE Network. The WWE Network itself that does exist outside the United States, that will be folding at the end of the year.

Netflix will pick up the content. Now, will they pick up all the content? All the archives? I don’t know but they will be the sole source of that, you know, the archival content of all the old territories and all the old stuff that was on the old WWE Network, that will move to Netflix outside the United States in January. 

Meltzer also answered a question regarding WWE leaving Sportsnet in Canada after its current deal with the network expires. 

I think as soon as this deal came in, I think they probably had no interest in renewing with Sportsnet, at that point. They want as much as they can on Netflix. Netflix wants it, and they want it there. They think Netflix is the place to be and not a TV station.  

Meltzer and Bryan Alvarez answered several more questions regarding WWE’s deal with Netflix during Wrestling Observer Radio. The full episode is up for subscribers now. 

Subscribers can click here to listen to Wrestling Observer Radio.