World Wrestling Entertainment is entering a new era, one that’s both exciting and transitional, as the company steps into a post-Vince McMahon landscape. With major streaming deals on the horizon, including the upcoming move of RAW to Netflix next year, WWE is transforming its relationship with streaming television in ways fans have never seen before, as covered by WhatsonDisneyPlus.
One of the most significant changes is WWE “Smackdown” no longer being available on Hulu or Hulu On Disney+, marking the end of a five-year relationship between FOX and WWE that began in 2018. This past Friday, the final episode of WWE’s “Smackdown” aired on FOX, but new episodes were expected to continue their next-day release on Hulu. However, subscribers noticed that this week’s episode wasn’t uploaded as usual, prompting Hulu’s customer service to confirm via social media that the next-day rights to WWE’s flagship show had expired.
This contract expiration means not only the removal of next-day “Smackdown” episodes but also the slow disappearance of past episodes from Hulu, with many expected to leave this week. Fans who enjoyed revisiting past episodes will now have to look elsewhere, particularly Peacock, which will exclusively stream next-day episodes starting next week. Peacock already hosts WWE’s Premium Live Events like “Wrestlemania” as part of its overall deal with WWE, making it the central hub for WWE streaming content in the US.
This shift away from Hulu comes during a broader reshuffling of WWE’s streaming homes. In addition to “Smackdown” moving to Peacock, WWE’s other flagship show, “RAW,” will move from the USA Network to Netflix in January, signaling the first time a major wrestling show will be available on the platform. NXT, another WWE property, is also relocating in October, with the CW network picking up a five-year deal.
The WWE Network, which once offered fans a comprehensive home for all things wrestling, ended its independent service in the US a few years ago, transitioning its content to Peacock. Some fans have been vocal about difficulties using Peacock’s WWE interface, which categorizes annual events like Wrestlemania by “season” rather than by year, making it hard to locate specific matches or shows.
This new era brings excitement and challenges. As WWE navigates expiring contracts and new deals with major streaming services, fans will experience a shifting landscape of where and how they can watch their favorite shows. Roger’s Take: The situation with WWE contracts, particularly RAW’s short-term extension with the USA Network until Netflix takes over in January, leaves questions about where other WWE content may end up. Smackdown’s exit from Hulu also raises the question of whether other WWE content will follow, given the new deals with Peacock, Netflix, and CW.