Saturday Night’s Main Event could technically end up on Netflix, but the reality behind all that speculation is a little different. WWE isn’t suddenly packing up the show and moving it from Peacock to Netflix.
While speaking on Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer addressed the speculation directly and said the actual discussions involve Netflix potentially becoming a hub for other streaming services, including Peacock.
“Netflix is looking at perhaps adding new services where they’d be like the hub, and Peacock is one of the ones they’re talking about. I heard some headlines that Saturday Night’s Main Event will go to Netflix. It’s not that at all. It’s just that they’re in talks. It’s primarily talks about bringing Peacock over.”
That’s where Saturday Night’s Main Event comes into this. The WWE special currently streams on Peacock in the United States, so if Peacock eventually becomes available through Netflix, SNME could technically be watched there too. Meltzer made it clear that this isn’t WWE shopping the show around or negotiating a separate Netflix deal.
“Of course, if they get Peacock as part of their hub, technically Saturday Night’s Main Event will be on Netflix. But it’s not like WWE is negotiating for Saturday Night’s Main Event to move to Netflix, which is something that had kind of come up. So that’s what’s going on there.”
The speculation started after The New York Times reported that Netflix has recently discussed making other streaming services available through its platform, including Peacock and Fox One. There’s no imminent deal, but it would represent a pretty big change for Netflix after years of largely keeping direct competitors outside its platform. Netflix has already tried something similar in France by integrating broadcaster TF1 into its service. Co-CEO Greg Peters also left the door open for more partnerships.
“If we see additional deals that similarly serve our members, that work for our partner, that work for us, we’ll certainly consider them.”
WWE’s current setup makes the distinction important. RAW streams live on Netflix in the United States, while Saturday Night’s Main Event remains part of WWE’s NBCUniversal arrangement and streams on Peacock. Internationally, Netflix carries RAW, SmackDown, NXT, Premium Live Events and much of WWE’s programming, but SNME isn’t currently included.
So there actually is a route that could put Saturday Night’s Main Event inside Netflix, but it just wouldn’t be another WWE-to-Netflix rights move. Peacock would have to come along for the ride first.
Would you prefer Saturday Night’s Main Event to become accessible through Netflix? Let us know in the comments.
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