Well, this was unexpected. Just days ago, we were reporting on the first real confirmation of any kind of WWE classic content making its way to Netflix in January. It finally began to feel like the Netflix train was gaining momentum and preparing to take on international distribution for all of WWE’s programming, officially turning the very network that this site is named after into a memory.
Well, not so fast it seems. Earlier today, we received evidence of what we have every reason to believe is a legitimate email from the WWE Network Support team to former customers in the Philippines. It reads as follows:
Obviously, there are a few things worth noting here. Firstly, the timing of this announcement is rather strange. Since 2022, WWE Network rights for the Philippines have belonged to Disney+. If those rights were to expire, it was expected to be just before the international Netflix agreement took effect. However, the fact that they’ve reverted now and WWE has resurrected its own standalone network in the country is rather strange.
Which brings me rather neatly to point number 2. What makes all of this even harder to figure out is that this email very specifically promotes major events for 2025. This would strongly suggest that WWE Network will live on in the Philippines at the very least. However, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that the WWE Network support team isn’t always privy to the most current information. It’s entirely possible that WWE fully knows that this is a stop gap but doesn’t want to put off potential subscribers by acknowledging the service’s lame duck status. It wouldn’t be the most ethical of lying through omission but it’s hardly a rare strategy.
Finally, it’s also entirely possible that the Philippines is simply not included in the international Netflix distribution agreement and WWE is simply going to serve the country as best it can. If you’re a reader from the Philippines, feel free to let us know in the comments if placeholders for Raw, Smackdown and NXT are showing up on Netflix in your country, as we’ve also heard talk of the service not even airing live events in the Southeast Asia region. Regardless, this has absolutely added a wrinkle to a situation that seemed to be finally shaking itself out. Only time will tell how everything settles.
What are your thoughts on the situation? Are you from the Philippines and happy to see the original WWE Network return? Are you reluctant to pay for another niche streaming service? Are you from anywhere else in the world and simply surprised to see the OG Network clinging to life as Netflix approaches? Let us know in the comment section below.
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