Ari Emanuel says WWE ‘numbers are up’ on Netflix, ‘thrilled’ with relationship
The early stages of the WWE and Netflix relationship have both sides very happy according to TKO head Ari Emanuel.
Appearing on The Pat McAfee Show on Friday, Emanuel was asked about how things have gone in the first month of WWE Raw debuting on Netflix domestically and the entire WWE televised & archive universe internationally.
Emanuel said the Netflix team are “incredible partners” and that “the show is performing.”
“We’re thrilled. I think they’re happy. Numbers are up, really good,” he said, assumed to be referring to Raw’s numbers.
WWE and Netflix embarked on their five-year deal in January that could turn into a much, much longer relationship. Emanuel again told the story of how he and Netflix content head Bela Bajaria had breakfast and initially talked about WWE NXT which then immediately moved to Raw instead.
He said the final deal was done over the Christmas holiday in 2023, finalized during a Zoom call with Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos while he was in London. After the deal was done, Emanuel joked he and Mark Shapiro did a jig.
Since 2011, Josh has been a contributing editor to Wrestling Observer/F4WOnline.com and also hosts the Punch-Out podcast. He has also written for Fight Magazine, Bloody Elbow, Bleacher Report, and other websites. He's a 2000 graduate of the University of Maine, worked in pro sports, and once was an indie ring announcer.