Try GOLD - Free
Streaming smackdown
Financial Express Kochi
|March 12, 2025
Will WWE help Netflix widen base?
WHEN NETFLIX ANNOUNCED its $5-billion, 10-year deal to bring WWE to its platform, it signaled two things. First, it was a major shift from the stance taken by Netflix's co-CEO Ted Sarandos, who has been openly dismissive of the viability of big sports rights. Second, it demonstrated the streamer's confidence that it could upgrade Indian audiences—accustomed to free or ad-supported streaming—to premium-priced sports content.
From April, Netflix will stream WWE content with Hindi commentary in the country. The offering includes weekly episodes of RAW, SmackDown, NXT, and major events like WrestleMania and Royal Rumble.
WWE programming has been a tent pole property on Ten Sports in India since 2002 and moved to the Sony platform when SPNI acquired Ten Sports from Zee Entertainment in 2016 and rebranded it as Sony Ten.
It is no gainsaying Sony made WWE accessible in the country—whether on your television set or when streaming on SonyLIV.
So what does the acquisition mean for Netflix, which has about 12 million subscribers in India? Can WWE justify the move to OTT when only 547 million Indians use streaming platforms against its TV audience base in the country pegged at 900 million?
This story is from the March 12, 2025 edition of Financial Express Kochi.
Subscribe to Magzter GOLD to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 10,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
MORE STORIES FROM Financial Express Kochi
Financial Express Kochi
Auto gears sector posts 6.8% growth in H1FY26
THE DOMESTIC AUTO component industry grew 6.8% year-on-year to $41.2 billion during the April-September period of FY26, according to industry body Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India (ACMA).
1 mins
January 15, 2026
Financial Express Kochi
BofA tops estimates as lending revenue rises, trading beats
BANK OF AMERICA Corp.’s equity traders posted their best fourth quarter ever as the company reaped the benefits of volatile markets and net interest income topped analysts’ estimates.
1 mins
January 15, 2026
Financial Express Kochi
Groww’s Q3 profit falls 28% to ₹547 cr
Total income increases 26%
1 min
January 15, 2026
Financial Express Kochi
Looking forward to working closely with India: US envoy
US AMBASSADOR TO India Sergio Gor on Wednesday said he was looking forward to working closely with New Delhi to advance shared priorities in areas of defence, trade, technology and critical minerals and to strengthen the overall partnership, as he presented his credentials to President Droupadi Murmu.
1 min
January 15, 2026
Financial Express Kochi
Polymatech eyes ₹10,000-cr IPO to push expansion plans
POLYMATECH ELECTRONICS
1 min
January 15, 2026
Financial Express Kochi
New office, old press: Printing of Budget stays in North Block
WITH JUST a fortnight left for the Budget presentation, it’s not just the fiscal math the finance ministry officials are busy with, but also finalising the location for printing the Budget copies.
1 min
January 15, 2026
Financial Express Kochi
Composite salary account for central govt staff unveiled
THE DEPARTMENT OF Financial Services (DFS) on Wednesday launched a unified “Composite Salary Account Package for Central government employees in partnership with Public Sector Banks (PSBs), offering a single-window financial solution that integrates banking, insurance and card benefits.
1 min
January 15, 2026
Financial Express Kochi
HDFC AMC Q3 profit grows 20% to ₹770 crore
Revenues for the nine-month period rose 18% to ₹3,068 cr from ₹2,597 cr
1 min
January 15, 2026
Financial Express Kochi
Q-commerce: 10-minute tag goes, sprint remains
THE MOVE HAS also raised questions around existing merchandise.
1 min
January 15, 2026
Financial Express Kochi
Kashi-Tamil Sangamam and a tribute to Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat
A FEW DAYS ago, I was at the sacred land of Somnath to be part of the Somnath Swabhiman Parv, marking a thousand years since the first attack on Somnath, which took place in 1026.
4 mins
January 15, 2026
Listen
Translate
Change font size