A guide to WWE on Netflix: 6 World Wrestling Entertainment shows to watch first
Suplexing streams, chokeslammed onto your TV
On January 6th, 2025, Netflix became the home of World Wrestling Entertainment – that’s WWE to you and us, and if you remember muscle-bound pummelers of a certain vintage, you may even know it under its old World Wrestling Federation, WWF, name. The world’s biggest streaming service is now where you’ll find the larger-than-life stars of the world’s pre-eminent professional wrestling promotion – in a number of territories, at least.
The situation is a bit more complicated than it should be, if we’re being honest. It’s not even immediately clear precisely what’s available to watch from a simple scan of the Netflix home page.
So what exactly is involved in this new partnership? Which WWE content can you watch on Netflix, and in which territories? When is it all going to be available to stream?
The following feature will explain all of this and more. We’ll also count the show out with some classic WWE content highlights, which should give you an idea as to where to start on your spandex-clad Netflix journey.
Limber up. This is going to get wild.
What WWE content can I watch on Netflix?
Your Netflix subscription grants you access to a range of live WWE events, but it varies depending on where you’re signing in from.
Those in the UK and the US, as well as other selected territories (more on those in a moment), are all getting access to the weekly flagship WWE Raw programme, which airs a number of match-ups and scripted confrontations live every Monday at 8pm Eastern Time (ET), or 1am on Tuesday morning here in the UK. Don’t worry if you can’t stay up that late on a school night – all WWE Raw episodes are available to stream immediately following the broadcast.
Netflix subscribers in the UK and other selected non-US territories can also access WWE SmackDown, which is a second live broadcast involving a separate roster of fighters. This airs at 8pm ET every Friday night, or 1am GMT on Saturday morning depending on which side of the Atlantic you’re from.
These same non-US territories, including the UK, also have access to WWE NXT content. This is a third live programme that is being sent out every Tuesday at 8pm ET / Wednesday at 1am GMT. It focuses on up and coming wrestling talent, all vying to become WWE Raw or Smackdown stars.
On top of these weekly live TV shows, all of those same non-US territories will have access to so-called Premium Live Events, which are annual tentpole showcases such as WrestleMania, SummerSlam and Royal Rumble.
There’s also a range of archival WWE content available to stream, covering classic broadcasts, historical Premium Live Events, wrestler profiles, and more. We’ll run through some choice examples of this a little later.
When are the next Premium Live Events?
The first Royal Rumble of the Netflix era is set for February 1st, 2025. This will be followed by Elimination Chamber on March 1st.
This all leads up to the main event, with WrestleMania 2025 set to take place across the weekend of April 19th and 20th. SummerSlam rounds out the wrestling year on August 2nd and 3rd.
All events will be streaming live on Netflix in the following non-US territories…
Which territories have access to WWE content on Netflix?
As well as the UK, territories with access to all WWE content on Netflix include Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, Finland, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Indonesia, Israel, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, and Ukraine.
Netflix claims that more countries will be added in 2026 and beyond.
US customers only get access to the weekly WWE Raw show and Raw archival content through Netflix. Premium Live Events will continue to be made available through Peacock, while The CW and USA Network have the rights to the WWE NXT and WWE SmackDown broadcasts.
How do I watch WWE on Netflix?
The above WWE content is available to access to anyone with a Netflix subscription. For those outside of the US (see previous point) there are no hidden or one-off extras to pay, unlike with other combat sports promotions.
This means that audiences can access all of this wrestling goodness from any device that can run the Netflix app or a web browser, be that a smartphone, tablet, TV, games console, laptop or desktop PC. It’s pretty generous, given WWE’s historical pay-per-view event scheduling.
Where do I start with Netflix’s archival WWE content?
Besides the aforementioned live programmes and special events, Netflix subscribers in the UK and other selected territories can access a wide range of archival WWE content. Here are some choice highlights to help get you started.
1. WWE WrestleMania
If you want to get straight to the heart of the WWE experience, look no further than WrestleMania. Think of this flagship annual event as the Super Bowl or Champions League Final of wrestling, in which the greatest stars of the sport come together to hash it out in impeccably choreographed fashion. Netflix gives you access to all 40 of the WrestleMania events to have taken place to date, going right back to 1985’s team up between Hulk Hogan and Mr. T. You have to pity those fools on the other side.
2. WWE Legends Profiles
Today’s WWE stands on the shoulders of giants, likely preceding a mighty diving crossbody. Names like Booker T, Brett Hart, and of course the notorious Hulk Hogan all had a huge say in putting the business where it is today. Whether you’re a geriatric millennial looking to relive your youth, or a budding WWE fan swotting up on your history, this series of 12 snappy profiles serves as a cheat sheet for some of the sport’s luminaries.
3. WWE Royal Rumble
Just as iconic as WrestleMania and around ten times as chaotic, to watch a Royal Rumble event is to witness pure semi-orchestrated chaos. These special annual events take on an all-against-all battle royale format, with the ring essentially filling up with multiple superstars drop kicking, clotheslining, and suplexing for all they’re worth. The last person standing (or rather, left in the ring) wins. It’s utter madness, and Netflix lets you savour every last moment of it from 1988 right up to 2024.
4. WWE Judgement Day
Netflix has brought together all 11 of the WWE Judgement Day pay per view events, which took place annually between 1998 and 2009. Of course, they’re now free to watch on demand. It was one of these Judgement Day events (2002, to be precise) that was chosen to be the first bearer of the WWE moniker, following the franchise’s switch from the WWF name. It seems the World Wide Fund for Nature didn’t take kindly to being mistaken for the World Wrestling Federation, for some strange reason.
5. WWE Extreme Rules
In the unlikely event that you don’t find regular WWE match-ups to be sufficiently over the top, may we suggest that you turn those wild eyes of yours to Extreme Rules. As the name suggests, this annual event, which ran from 2009 to 2022, showcased special matches under ‘enhanced’ rules. Think a more hardcore take on the sport, with no count outs or disqualifications. The last of these events (to date at least) featured former UFC champion Ronda Rousey, which tells you everything you need to know about the concept.
6. WWE No Mercy
Want to see what it looked like when the WWF (as it was then known) circus rolled into the UK? But of course you do. Long time fans will tell you that the 1999 inaugural No Mercy event wasn’t a particular classic of the format, but the fact that it took place in front of a raucous Manchester crowd should be of interest to Brits. The headline fight is top tier, at least, with Stone Cold Steve Austin facing off against Triple H and The Undertaker for the title.
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