Can you smell what Netflix is cooking? WWE’s Raw moves to streaming platform

Sign up to our free sport newsletter for all the latest news on everything from cycling to boxing Sign up to our free sport email for all the latest news Sign up to our free sport email for all the latest news SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The bigger component for Netflix though, is that the streaming platform will carry all of the company’s shows overseas — including “Smackdown” and “NXT” — as well as premium live events like WrestleMania, SummerSlam and Royal Rumble. Brandon Riegg, Netflix’s vice president of nonfiction series and sports, said the social media buzz around “Raw” each week as well as the stable audience WWE provides made it a natural fit this time when the company approached Netflix last year. "But then throughout the year, if we can have a steady drumbeat of those amazing live moments and live action and spectacle, that’s what we’re going to get with WWE.” According to Nielsen, “Raw's” final episode on USA Network averaged 1.6 million viewers despite going against the “Monday Night Football” matchup between the Detroit Lions and San Francisco 49ers. open image in gallery The agreement with WWE, reached last January, is worth in excess of $5 billion with an option for Netflix to extend for an additional 10 years or opt out after five Khan and WWE chief content officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque have also stressed that the three-hour weekly show will not hurt its rating due to being on a streaming platform.