As WWE makes arrangements to shift RAW onto Netflix in the US and make the wrestling content available on WWE Network for audiences outside the US, changes to the viewing schedule are anticipated.
Many of the WWE’s international TV agreements will come to a halt later this year, paving the way for Netflix to take over the rights to the WWE content in various international domains.
However, with the Netflix partnership slated to kick off on January 6, fans situated in the UK, Canada, and other regions will have to tune into the January 3rd episode of SmackDown on YouTube.
During the most recent episode of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer elaborated on WWE’s plan to air the January 3rd episode on YouTube instead of their traditional platforms.
Meltzer put forth, “So it’s one of those weird things, the way the contracts end and start. There’s a gap, which is actually only one show, but as many of you are aware, in countries like Canada and the UK, and most parts of the world — barring a few exceptions like the US, Germany, and the Philippines — the telecast deals conclude at the end of this year. Netflix steps in to take over from January 6. However, there’s a January 3 Smackdown show which will be accessible everywhere but the United States basically. As I mentioned, exceptions include the United States, Germany, and the Philippines, and there might be a couple of other countries, but that’s pretty much it. Elsewhere, WWE will air the Smackdown show on YouTube that week. This is essentially what’s happening. The Netflix arrangement commences with Raw on the sixth and followed by NXT on the seventh, and SmackDown on the 10th, practically around the globe excluding the United States. It’s just that this specific date didn’t fit in with the transition schedule. So, that’s it in a nutshell.”