In a significant move, Netflix India is set to stream WWE content starting April 2025, marking its debut in Indian sports entertainment and ending WWE’s two-decade partnership with Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI). This shift is part of a global 10-year agreement worth $5 billion, signed by WWE’s parent company, TKO Group Holdings, with Netflix earlier this year.
While this deal presents an opportunity for Netflix India to expand its user base and attract WWE’s dedicated fans, it also poses significant challenges. Industry experts caution that migrating WWE’s fanbase from linear television to a subscription-based streaming platform could prove challenging in India, given the country’s large television audience and relatively smaller streaming user base.
India’s television audience is estimated at 900 million, significantly higher than its 547 million streaming users. Moreover, Sony network has been the undisputed home of professional wrestling in India since it took over Ten Sports, which had rights to air WWE since 2002. The network’s sports offering has been consistently good, and it has a strong presence in the country.
In contrast, Netflix India has only 12 million subscribers, which is a small fraction of the country’s total television audience. This raises concerns about the potential loss of viewers and reach for WWE, as many fans may not have access to Netflix or may not be willing to subscribe to the platform.
Some Indian fans have already expressed their concerns about the shift, stating that they will only be able to access WWE content through their YouTube channel. This could lead to a significant loss of viewers and revenue for WWE, which has a strong following in India.
Despite these challenges, Netflix India is optimistic about the partnership, which presents an opportunity to expand its user base and attract WWE’s dedicated fans. The platform aims to drive substantial subscription growth through this partnership, which could help it to increase its market share in India. However, it remains to be seen how successful Netflix India will be in migrating WWE’s fanbase to its platform.
In conclusion, while the acquisition of WWE content by Netflix India presents an opportunity for growth, it also poses significant challenges. The company will need to navigate these challenges carefully to ensure that it can successfully migrate Indian WWE’s fanbase to its platform and drive subscription growth.
