The unequivocal number one streaming service in the world, Netflix is loved by millions around the planet.
And given it has more subscribers than any other similar service – with tens of millions more than the likes of Disney+ and Amazon Prime Video – Netflix is constantly looking to try and cement its number one position for the short and long term.
One recent way it has done this is through a huge multi-billion dollar deal with the WWE. But for those watching, it comes with a warning.
Netflix and WWE
Starting earlier this month, Netflix and the WWE teamed up in a deal worth a whopping $5 billion (£4 billion).
As part of the mega contract, Netflix received the entire WWE archive to watch on demand. So if you fancy some old school Stone Cold Steve Austin vs The Rock, or Jeff Hardy deciding to Swanton Bomb off of the top of a steel cage, you’re in luck.
On top of that, it saw the live Monday Night Raw shows move to Netflix across the world, with it’s debut seeing the likes of Macaulay Culkin make a guest appearance on our screens.
And for viewers outside of the USA, NXT and Friday Night Smackdown are also being broadcast live on the streaming service as they happen.
The cherry on top of the cake has to be the premium live events (PLEs). Once upon a time called pay-per-views (PPVs), they are the premium shows such as WrestleMania, Royal Rumble, and SummerSlam.
They are also part of the deal with all the above content available to Netflix subscribers as part of their normal subscription costs.
It’s Tiffy Time (WWE/Getty Images)
£1,000 warning
For UK viewers who want to watch any of the live events as they happen, you could be falling foul of the law. It’s because of something called the TV Licence.
In the country, it is a legal requirement if you want to watch live content as it is broadcast. And that’s on any service, from television to YouTube and, yes, Netflix.
Daniel McAfee, Head of Legal Operations at Lawhive, said: “Under UK law, any live television broadcast requires a valid TV licence, regardless of the streaming platform.”
McAfee warned Brits to ‘stay informed on licensing changes as streaming platforms expand live broadcast offerings’.
On prosecuting people who break TV Licensing laws, a service spokesperson said: “We have a duty to enforce the law when there is evidence that someone has avoided paying for a TV Licence.”
Two of the biggest stars in WWE, Jimmy Uso and Cody Rhodes (WWE/Getty Images)
Punishment for not paying your TV license could change in the UK
In late 2024, Government ministers said they were looking at decriminalising non-payment of a TV Licence by people who watch live content.
Lisa Nandy, the culture secretary, and Shabana Mahmood, the justice secretary, both concurred that prosecutions were ‘disproportionately’ targeting women.
“The administrative burden of policing non-payment of the licence fee should not be falling on the taxpayer. It should be carved out. It’s not worth the hassle it creates,” a government source told The Times.
