It's no secret some big changes are on the way for WWE programming, as USA Network is shortening the runtime of Monday Night Raw ahead of its debut on Netflix in 2025 and welcoming SmackDown to its network. Now, CinemaBlend has learned that we can also expect some changes happening on the streaming side, as the wrestling organization's longtime streaming partner Peacock is going to lose a good chunk of WWE content soon.
CinemaBlend has learned from a Peacock spokesperson that its streaming library of Monday Night Raw will expire on January 1st, 2025. Additionally, when NXT begins its new run on The CW on October 1st, Peacock will remove its catalog of the program as well. It's not known if either show has a new streaming platform yet. Peacock intends to add a countdown clock on its platform for NXT's expiration on September 19th and one for Monday Night Raw beginning on December 2nd.
Peacock Will Lose Raw And NXT, But Keep SmackDown And More
While Peacock is losing content, it will retain the streaming rights for SmackDown as part of its five-year deal with USA Network. The full past season of SmackDown is currently available, and new episodes will appear on streaming 30 days after airing on USA.
The platform will continue to have the rights to livestream the rest of upcoming WWE PLEs on the 2024 TV schedule. Also, NBC is the host network for Saturday Night Main Event, which will do four shows a year. The platform will hold onto previously produced WWE programming such as American Nightmare: Becoming Cody Rhodes and other great wrestling documentaries as well.
So, while there will be less WWE content to stream with a Peacock Premium subscription, there's still plenty of reason to hold onto it if you're someone who wants access to the SmackDown library and other content. This news certainly feels like a bummer knowing the likely reality that is just around the corner when it comes to the WWE and streaming.
Where Will Monday Night Raw And NXT Head To Next On Streaming?
As previously mentioned, we don't know what's going to happen to the libraries of Monday Night Raw or NXT. If I had to make an educated guess, I would think there's a deal happening in the background for the back catalog of Raw to be available on Netflix at some point, and NXT will end up somewhere else as well. I suppose it's also a possibility that they could simply not be picked up and become lost media, though I highly doubt that will happen.
The WWE being a hot commodity on streaming was inevitable given its massive spike in popularity in the wake of what's being called the Triple H Era. It'll be interesting to see what the streaming picture for the WWE as a whole looks by this time in 2025 as we round out the final months of big events, like John Cena's retirement tour. It's also possible that in the future, wrestling fans will need a good number of streaming services if they're looking to keep up with the entire product.
For now, Peacock is the definitive home of WWE streaming, and readers can watch former PLE's, shows, and, my personal favorite, the best wrestling Christmas episodes there. I guess I better make the most of it this coming holiday season, as I may not be able to revisit these episodes so easily in the future.
