$NFLX (-0,29 %) Netflix's next foray into live programming begins Monday when the company streams its first episode of "Raw," the weekly spectacle from World Wrestling Entertainment , which has been a staple of U.S. television for three decades.
WWE executives are moving their flagship show from Comcast's USA Network to its new streaming home in hopes of appealing to more fans of all ages around the world.
"When you look at Netflix and its global reach and the power of its brand, it was time for our brand to meet theirs," said WWE President Nick Khan.
Netflix has agreed to pay more than $5 billion over 10 years for the rights to broadcast "Raw" and other WWE programs such as "Smackdown" and "Wrestlemania." This is part of the streaming service's push into live events, which are attractive to advertisers.
WWE was popularized by dazzling characters like Hulk Hogan and future movie star Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, whose stories captivated viewers.
One fan was Bela Bejaria, now Chief Content Officer at Netflix. She recalled watching super-sized personalities like Hogan, Randy Savage and Andre the Giant with her grandfather after her family moved to Los Angeles when she was nine years old.
"It turns out my experience watching wrestling with my family isn't that unusual," Bejaria said. "WWE has a huge, multi-generational fan base with an array of stars and exciting drama." Today, WWE has more than 1 billion followers on social media, Bejaria said. "Combining the intensity of WWE fans with the fan base and reach of Netflix just made sense," she said.
"Raw" will air live every Monday exclusively on Netflix in the United States, Canada, Latin America and other territories. Some countries will see the show on Netflix later this year, including India in April.
In 2025, WWE will host more "Raw" and "Smackdown" events in international markets and strives to find Superstars around the world.
"We can't just be an American company airing American content and hoping people come and tune in," Khan said. "We have to be local." Monday's "Raw" will be broadcast live from outside Los Angeles, with appearances by wrestler and actor John Cena, Roman Reigns, Cody Rhodes and others.
The show will air 52 weeks a year, a significant jump from the few live events Netflix has previously offered.
In November, Netflix reported 65 million concurrent streams for a boxing match between 58-year-old Mike Tyson and 27-year-old YouTube star Jake Paul. Some users reported buffering problems during the fight.
Netflix attributed the disruptions to the large number of viewers and explained that it had since improved its technology. On Christmas Day, Netflix streams of two National Football League games ran smoothly, attracting more than 30 million viewers each.
Paul Levesque, WWE's chief content officer, said he wasn't worried about the possibility of some hiccups on the premiere of "Raw."
"If it blinks a couple times and we hit 60 million viewers, that's fine with me," Levesque joked.