10 months ago
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WWE's multi-billion-dollar deal with Netflix has quickly become a historic event for the promotion, and with Dwayne Johnson's official TKO Board membership being announced simultaneously, big things are happening. Nick Khan recently appeared on "The Pat McAfee Show," where he explained how the deal with Netflix came to fruition. Khan started by recounting WWE's history with USA Network and praised the current deals they have.
"Fast-forward to Netflix and NBCU and USA and Peacock, we think we're in business with two good partners," he continued, explaining that they shifted focus to getting a deal for "WWE Raw" once they secured "WWE SmackDown." "It was a robust marketplace, we had a lot of meetings, there was a lot of interest, a high number of offers." Despite multiple suitors, WWE ended up going with Netflix, and Khan explained that the freedom was a major deciding factor for both the promotion as well as Netflix. "The fact that they come to us and say 'yeah, we strike a deal and you guys do all the rest' Is something that they like, and certainly something in our wheelhouse." Additionally, he revealed that the deal came together in "a couple of months."
Lastly, Khan was asked about the response to the deal backstage in WWE. "Overwhelmingly positive. If you look at the 'Streaming Wars,' Netflix has sat at the top of that perch and continued to sit at the top of that perch." Khan also noted that the deal will grow both the WWE audience as well as the Netflix subscriber base. He added that friends and family have been reacting positively to the deal based on the texts he's received.
If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "The Pat McAfee Show" and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
