ON AN OVERCAST MORNING THIS PAST JANUARY, DWAYNE "THE ROCK" JOHNSON, WORLD WRESTLING ENTERTAINMENT'S BIGGEST CROSSOVER SUCCESS, STOOD ON THE SECOND-FLOOR BALCONY OVERLOOKING THE FLOOR OF THE NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE, SPURRING THE CROWD TO THUNDEROUS APPLAUSE.
HE WAS THERE TO CELEBRATE HIS appointment to the board of TKO Holdings, the conglomerate that talent agency Endeavor had created four months earlier by merging two leagues under its umbrella, WWE and the mixed martial arts league UFC. To his left stood Ari Emanuel, the Hollywood agent, CEO of Endeavor and now TKO, too. To Johnson's right was Vince McMahon, board chairman of TKO.
It was a big day for WWE. That morning, the organization had announced that in January 2025, one of its signature shows, Raw, will move from USA Network to Netflix, where it will air worldwide for the first time. It's part of a larger deal that Netflix forged with the league, representing the streamer's first ever with a live-event franchise. Netflix is paying WWE $5 billion over 10 years, dwarfing the $265 million per year NBCUniversal-owned USA paid for the previous five years.
"It's a real boom [time] for sports rights, in general," says Brandon Riegg, Netflix's head of unscripted and sports content. "It's such a hot category right now." As one of the only types of programming that audiences will still endure heavy advertising to watch, live sports commanded nearly 30% of all U.S. national television ad spending in 2023. And Netflix wants in. The streamer launched its first ad-supported subscription tier in 2022. With Netflix now wooing advertisers, live entertainment-particularly sports-could play an important role. In addition to the WWE deal and the Mike TysonJake Paul bout that took place in November, the streamer will broadcast two NFL games on Christmas Day.
Denne historien er fra Winter 2024 - 2025-utgaven av Fast Company.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra Winter 2024 - 2025-utgaven av Fast Company.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Where the Clean Energy Jobs Are
A data-driven guide to the skills you need and the opportunities you'll find
CAN WWE PIN THE WORLD?
AS IT MAKES ITS $5 BILLION NETFLIX DEBUT AND PREPARES FOR A GLOBAL AUDIENCE, WWE IS STILL WRESTLING WITH THE TOXIC LEGACY OF ITS COMPLICATED FOUNDER.
RADICAL VISION
POLICE DEPARTMENTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY ARE EMBRACING AI-ENHANCED SURVEILLANCE IN THE NAME OF STOPPING CRIME. HERE'S HOW ONE SECURITY FIRM IS LEADING THE EFFORT AND PROFITING OFF OUR FEARS
Brands That Matter
Our annual look at standout brands encompasses 130 honorees in nine categories, including the inaugural CMOs of the Year. Here's how 12 of those brands and three top CMOs stake out the intersection of business and culture.
The Future According to Google
Google DeepMind, the tech giant's internal AI research lab, isn't just racing to beat OpenAI to market. Under Nobel laureate CEO Demis Hassabis, it's the \"engine room\" of the entire company.
EYE OF THE BEHOLDER
SEPHORA HAS GROWN SO POWERFUL THAT IT CONTROLS WHICH BRANDS LIVE OR DIE IN THE $30 BILLION HIGH-END COSMETICS INDUSTRY. IN THIS BEAUTY CONTEST, SEPHORA ALWAYS WEARS THE CROWN.
CULTURE WARS
Brands on the Run Why Harley-Davidson, Caterpillar, and other masculine\" brands are caving to anti-DEI crusader Robby Starbuck
WORK LIFE
Law Roach, image architect and educator, answers our career questionnaire.
The AI Gadget Debacle
Here's why you shouldn't expect any mind-blowing AI-powered gifts anytime soon.
Why the future workplace will feel more like a hotel
REVEALS WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT TO CORPORATE STRATEGY AND EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT
