It has been confirmed that Smackdown will stream globally on Netflix from January

Sure, maybe this would fall into the “obvious” category for some, but until we hear about it from official sources, the full status of WWE’s main programming is a bit in doubt as we quickly head into the new global era of Netflix in January. Well, the status of Smackdown is now crystal clear and these clarifications come directly from WWE itself.

As we reported yesterday, select markets without a TV deal can now watch Raw and SmackDown live on the WWE YouTube channel. Last night marked the debut broadcast of SmackDown using this new method. The commercial break graphics, in the same style as Raw, contained important information:

For those unable to read the image above, it categorically states that SmackDown will air live on Netflix in all territories served by this YouTube stream (and many others, of course) starting January 3, 2025. For those who track, this does not actually mean that while the Netflix era will officially begin on January 6 Raw in the United States, the event for overseas subscribers will begin a few days earlier. And of course, this only applies to live events. Any potential library content (including previous documentaries mentioned in the original press release) may appear at any time before this date.

Things are picking up pace surprisingly early, as we’re three months away from signing the deal as of this writing, so there’s no denying at this point that both WWE and Netflix seem eager to gain as much momentum as possible on this massive worldwide streaming deal.

Does the news that SmackDown will officially become a live show for international Netflix subscribers get you excited? Do you expect the Netflix deal to change your viewing habits? Let us know what you think about these questions or anything else in the comments section below.