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WWE’s Netflix Shift: Is It A Win For Indian Fans? Or A Costly Move?

Well, the day we’ve all been waiting for has finally arrived! Today is April 1st, and all of WWE’s content (including RAW, SmackDown, NXT, and PLEs such as WrestleMania) has officially moved from SonyLIV to Netflix. This marks a historic shift in WWE’s presence in India, as the wrestling promotion and Sony collaborated for over 20 years to make professional wrestling a household phenomenon in the country.

WWE first debuted in India in 1996 when it was still known as the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). However, in terms of television broadcasting, WWE established a consistent presence in India starting in 2002 through a partnership with Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI). Initially, WWE programming aired on Ten Sports, which began broadcasting WWE content in India that year.

Ten Sports was later acquired by SPNI in 2016 from Zee Entertainment and rebranded as Sony Ten, continuing to serve as the primary channel for WWE in India. Additionally, WWE content became available on SonyLIV starting January 1, 2021, marking the debut of WWE Network content on the SonyLIV platform in India following an exclusive partnership between WWE and Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI).

Now, WWE content has arrived on Netflix. While many have praised this move in India, a noticeable section of the fanbase isn’t exactly thrilled about it. Why?

Well, to answer this properly, we first need to understand WWE’s market in India. It’s evident that the company has a massive audience in the country. For instance, WWE has over 110 million YouTube subscribers globally, and nearly 34 million of them are from India—meaning almost one-third of the company’s YouTube subscribers reside here.

Indian fans have been watching WWE content on television for more than two decades via Ten Sports and Sony Ten channels. They’ve grown accustomed to watching the company’s weekly episodic shows such as RAW, SmackDown, and NXT, along with PLEs, on these channels—all at highly affordable prices.

In India, the average monthly cost of a cable TV subscription typically ranges from ₹150 to ₹300 or more, depending on the channel package and operator. As part of these cable TV subscriptions, Indian audiences could watch and enjoy WWE for years. But now, with Netflix in the picture, everything has changed.

The Indian WWE fanbase now has no choice but to watch the brand’s content on Netflix. The streaming platform’s subscription plans in India are as follows:

  • Mobile – ₹149/month (limited to mobile devices and tablets, 480p resolution, single stream)

  • Basic – ₹199/month (compatible with TVs and computers, 720p HD)

  • Standard – ₹499/month (1080p Full HD, two simultaneous streams)

  • Premium – ₹649/month (4K Ultra HD with HDR, spatial audio, four simultaneous streams, six download devices)

The majority of the Indian OTT audience subscribes to either Netflix’s Mobile or Basic plan, as they are the most affordable options. Yet, many believe that spending ₹149 per month to watch WWE content on TV or mobile is expensive. Some even predict that WWE could lose a large portion of its current Indian audience, particularly in rural and semi-urban areas, due to this shift.

So, what can WWE do about this?

First, they must consistently deliver high-quality content—especially in terms of storytelling, character development, and match quality. This will help the brand retain its audience globally, including in India. The days of Vince McMahon’s regime, filled with bizarre storylines, goofy characters, sexual innuendos, and excessive shock value to attract young fans and retain Attitude Era loyalists, are long gone.

This is a new era for WWE. Under Paul “Triple H” Levesque (Chief Content Officer), the focus is on engaging storylines, well-developed characters, and high-quality matches. WWE’s partnership with Netflix has completely changed the dynamics of sports entertainment.

Another step WWE could take with Netflix India is to introduce a separate, more affordable subscription plan for Indian audiences—similar to the arrangement WWE had with Sony, where SonyLIV offered WWE content for just ₹299 annually. A dedicated plan like this could attract a large segment of the audience that loves watching pro wrestling at budget-friendly prices.

Early reactions from the Indian WWE fanbase regarding the shift to Netflix have already started to surface. Most fans have praised the streaming service for significantly reducing the number of advertisements during the live stream of the latest Monday Night RAW episode (March 31). Excessive ads were one of the key reasons many fans previously wanted WWE to move from SonyLIV to Netflix. 

The one thing that stands out the most is that the recorded version of the latest RAW episode is completely ad-free. That’s right! This will surely please many fans. 

Check out some of the tweets below.

 

Binged Bureau:
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