Sure, perhaps this could be filed under the “obvious” category for some but until we hear from official sources, the full status of WWE’s major programming is somewhat in doubt as we rapidly head towards the new global Netflix era this January. Well, the status of Smackdown is now crystal clear and that clarification comes directly from WWE themselves.
As we reported yesterday, select markets without a TV deal are now able to watch Raw and SmackDown live on WWE’s YouTube channel. Last night was the debut airing for SmackDown via this new method. And in an identical style to Raw, the graphic for commercial breaks provided some vital information:
For those unable to read the above image, it categorically states that SmackDown will air live on Netflix in all of the territories served by this YouTube stream (plus many more, of course) beginning January 3rd, 2025. For those keeping track, this does indeed mean that while the Netflix era will officially kick off from January 6th with Raw in the United States, the party begins a few days earlier for international subscribers. And of course, this is only in reference to live events. Any potential library content (including the past documentaries mentioned in the original press release) could arrive at any point before that date.
Things are ramping up surprisingly early as we’re three months away from the deal kicking in as of writing, so there’s absolutely no denying at this point that both WWE and Netflix seem eager to build the maximum amount of momentum possible for this huge worldwide streaming deal.
Does the news of SmackDown officially being a live programme for international Netflix subscribers excite you? Do you expect the Netflix deal to alter your viewing habits? Let us know your thoughts on these questions or anything else in the comments section below.