"It was shocking" - Top AEW star comments on WWE's blockbuster deal with Netflix
WWE and Netflix made headlines this week with a massive deal. Now, a top AEW star and pro wrestling veteran is weighing in.
The Stamford-based company announced on Tuesday that their flagship TV show is headed to Netflix. Monday Night RAW will begin airing on the streaming giant in January 2025. The deal is set to last for at least 10 years, at $500 million per year. This is seen as another huge win for the streaming industry and another home run for the sports entertainment juggernaut.
Matt Hardy's last contract with the company ended in March 2020. He debuted with AEW that same month. On a recent episode of his Extreme Life of Matt Hardy podcast, the 31-year veteran said he was shocked by the RAW announcement. Hardy pointed to how Netflix can produce as much content as they want with their new partner:
"It was big, it was shocking. Once I heard that and I started hearing the details and I educated myself on what was going on, that’s massive. That’s a massive deal. Just the fact that they have this massive platform from Netflix. Literally, you can put out your own WWE branded content, pretty much without limit. It’s not like a TV station where you have certain time, everything is streaming, so that would allow for so many projects outside of the regular pro wrestling. You can have The Undertaker have a show, you can have guys that retire that can’t wrestle [have a show], the potentials are endless when it comes to that," he said. [H/T to Fightful]
RAW debuted on January 11, 1993, and ran on the USA Network until September 2000. The show returned to USA in October 2005 and has been there ever since. Hardy continued and noted how big the change is for the company's flagship show:
"The fact that WWE is putting RAW on Netflix — I know this was a big Vince thing but I’m sure it is embedded in the WWE mindset, ‘Make sure to say this, it’s very important. WWE are the first company ever to have their flagship program streaming, the first ever.' First evers were always a great way to try and get your point over in WWE if you’re trying to sell something. If it was the first ever, that was a strong selling point with Vince and I’m sure it’s still embedded in the WWE culture now," he said.
Nick Khan recently teased major Netflix projects and dished on the future of RAW. He's also mentioned how most of the feedback on the Netflix deal has been very positive.
Matt Hardy names WWE Wrestler of the Year for 2023
Last year was full of highlights for pro wrestling. Matt Hardy recently issued his own 2023 awards for various categories and made headlines with his WWE Wrestler of the Year award.
Speaking on his Extreme Life of Matt Hardy podcast, the multi-time champion named Roman Reigns as the competition's 2023 Wrestler of the Year despite the limited schedule:
"I still think the WWE Wrestler of the Year this year was Roman Reigns. I think he was the main character even though he wasn't a full-time performer and he's been gone. He remains a staple on their television program being talked about. 'Oh, he's coming back in two weeks, three weeks,' whatever. I still think even though he didn't wrestle the amount of matches that maybe he should have for a champion, whatever it may have been, I still think he's the guy that's carrying the program right now," he said. [From 1:09:11 – 1:09:41]
Hardy previously made interesting comments on the Female Wrestler of 2023 and honorable mentions that went with the winner.
What do you think about the Netflix deal? Do you see AEW following suit with a streaming giant in the next few years? Sound off in the comments below!