Netflix fans blame WWE following price hike hint
Netflix/WWESubscribers are chalking up Netflix’s potential price increase to the streaming platform’s recently-inked $5 billion WWE deal.
Netflix announced the deal on January 23. It gives the streamer exclusive rights to air live episodes of the WWE’s flagship show, Monday Night Raw, in the US, Canada, UK, Latin America, and other key markets.
The Netflix/WWE deal comes into effect in January 2025. It will run for 10 years at $500 million/year – a massive financial outlay that Netflix bosses are clearly banking new, WWE-obsessed subscribers recouping.
But, in the meantime, the money has to come from somewhere, and a letter from Netflix’s top brass to shareholders has since suggested the company’s current userbase will initially foot the bill.
Netflix fans blame WWE following price hike hint
Per The Hollywood Reporter, the letter strongly implied that Netflix expanding its content catalog to include the likes of the WWE would bump up subscription pricing. “As we invest in and improve Netflix, we’ll occasionally ask our members to pay a little extra to reflect those improvements,” it read, in part.
Predictably, Netflix subscribers took the price hike hint – and its apparent WWE connection – about as well as a Flying Elbow Drop off the top rope.
“‘We just bought WWE rights for $5 billion, we’re going to need to charge you for it,'” wrote one X user. “Gotta pay for Raw lmao,” echoed a second. “Can’t believe I’m gonna have to pay $20 a f**king month just to watch WWE,” complained a third.
“Lol wtf, I don’t watch WWE why would I want this?” queried a fourth. “Maybe don’t pay $5B next time for WWE,” suggested a fifth. “No one asked you to give WWE the bag…,” grumbled a sixth.
Netflix drops new Avatar: The Last Airbender trailer
Amusingly, one commentator theorized that Netflix only signaled the price rise following the positive response to the latest Avatar: The Last Airbender trailer. “Released the Avatar trailer and got brave I see,” they quipped.
The most recent glimpse at the streaming giant’s live-action remake of the beloved Nickelodeon series also dropped on January 23. It earned a broadly positive reception for its faithful recreation of the original cartoon, although some fans still weren’t fully sold.
