WWE programming is headed to Netflix in Japan next month, marking a significant distribution change for the company in one of its most established international markets.

WWE Japan announced that first-run WWE shows will begin streaming on Netflix in the region next month. Additional details regarding the rollout are still expected, including the precise launch date and the full scope of programming that will be included at the start of the arrangement.

The announcement signals the end of WWE’s current streaming relationship with ABEMA, which has carried the company’s weekly shows and premium live events in Japan since September 2023. ABEMA confirmed last month that WWE content would no longer be available through its service after September 30. Its final scheduled WWE broadcast will be the September 29 edition of Monday Night Raw.

The promotional material accompanying WWE Japan’s Netflix announcement specifically highlights Monday Night Raw, Friday Night SmackDown, and NXT. Those three brands represent WWE’s core weekly in-ring output, and their placement on Netflix gives Japanese viewers a new platform for following the company’s major ongoing storylines.

For more background on this topic, read Lola Vice Wins WWE Raw Debut, Qualifies for Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match.

Netflix Becomes WWE’s New Japanese Streaming Home

The move has been anticipated for several months. Earlier this year, Netflix Vice President of Sports Gabe Spitzer stated that WWE programming was planned for a Japanese launch later in 2026. WWE’s latest announcement confirms that the transition is now close, although the company has said more information will be revealed soon.

For WWE, the agreement extends the growing relationship between the promotion and Netflix beyond the company’s most closely watched domestic rights markets. Netflix has increasingly positioned WWE as a major live entertainment property on the platform, and the Japanese expansion brings that strategy to a territory with a long history of WWE fandom and a deeply rooted domestic professional wrestling culture.

Japan has long been an important international audience for WWE, both through television distribution and through the popularity of individual performers. The country is also home to several major wrestling promotions, which makes consistent access to WWE’s flagship programming especially notable. With Raw, SmackDown and NXT advertised for Netflix, viewers in Japan will have a centralized destination for the weekly WWE product once the migration is complete.

At present, WWE has not detailed whether its premium live events will also transfer to Netflix in Japan, nor has it specified whether archival material, documentaries, original series, or other WWE library programming will be part of the offering. ABEMA’s package included Raw, SmackDown, and WWE premium live events during its partnership with the company. The Netflix promotional graphic confirms the three weekly brands, but further clarification will be needed on the status of the wider WWE slate.

ABEMA Partnership Concludes at the End of September

ABEMA became WWE’s streaming partner in Japan in September 2023. Over the course of that arrangement, the service delivered WWE’s biggest weekly programs and premium live events to Japanese subscribers and viewers, giving the promotion a reliable home in the market.

That run will conclude at the end of September. ABEMA’s announcement that WWE content would leave the platform established September 30 as the cutoff date, while the September 29 episode of Raw was identified as the final WWE broadcast scheduled for the service.

The timing creates a relatively short transition period between WWE’s departure from ABEMA and the start of its Netflix era. WWE has described the Netflix launch as arriving next month, meaning Japanese fans should receive more specific scheduling information shortly. Until those details are announced, it remains unclear whether the programming will appear immediately after the ABEMA deal expires or whether there will be a brief gap before Netflix begins carrying the shows.

The change is important not only because of the platform involved, but because weekly wrestling viewing depends heavily on routine. Raw, SmackDown and NXT are serialized programs built around continuing rivalries, title pursuits and premium live event build-up. A clear and accessible distribution plan helps ensure that viewers can follow developments week to week rather than having to seek out separate methods of watching each show.

Netflix’s prominence as an international streaming brand may also provide WWE with a straightforward way to reach viewers who are already familiar with the service for drama, film, sports-adjacent entertainment and live programming. For existing WWE followers in Japan, the key question will be how the presentation, availability and timing of the broadcasts compare with the ABEMA arrangement.

Raw, SmackDown and NXT Highlighted for the Launch

The three shows named in WWE Japan’s promotional material cover distinct parts of the company’s weekly structure. Raw remains one of WWE’s central flagship brands, carrying major talent, championship programs and storylines that frequently lead into premium live events. SmackDown is WWE’s other main roster weekly program and regularly features many of the company’s top stars and titles.

NXT, meanwhile, provides a different component of the WWE system. The brand combines established developmental names with newer prospects and performers working toward a larger role within the company. Its inclusion in the Netflix announcement is notable because it gives Japanese fans regular access to WWE programming across both main roster brands and NXT’s separate title and talent landscape.

Having all three advertised in the same launch message suggests Netflix will be positioned as the principal destination for WWE’s current weekly programming in Japan. WWE has not yet provided a full release schedule, language information, replay availability, or details on whether episodes will air live, on delay, or in another format. Those operational details can make a substantial difference for an audience watching from a different time zone than WWE’s live United States broadcasts.

WWE’s upcoming information is therefore likely to be closely watched by fans currently accustomed to the ABEMA presentation. Questions surrounding commentary options, subtitles, program archives and premium live event availability have not been answered by the initial announcement. The confirmed element is that first-run WWE programming is moving to Netflix next month, with Raw, SmackDown and NXT explicitly promoted.

A Broader International Step for WWE and Netflix

The Japanese launch fits into WWE’s larger shift toward Netflix as a major distribution partner. Rather than treating the service solely as a library platform, the relationship has increasingly centered on current programming and WWE’s ongoing weekly presence. Bringing first-run content to Netflix in Japan reflects the importance of international distribution in that strategy.

For Netflix, WWE offers programming with built-in continuity, recognizable global branding and a dependable year-round calendar. Wrestling differs from a limited series or a seasonal sports schedule because its biggest weekly brands run continuously, creating repeat viewing opportunities throughout the year. Premium live events, if included in the eventual Japanese package, would add another layer of tentpole programming, though WWE has not yet confirmed that portion of the plan.

For WWE, the move gives the company an opportunity to establish a new viewing home in Japan after two years on ABEMA. The transition also arrives as Netflix continues to invest in sports and live entertainment initiatives. WWE’s regular output is well suited to that approach, offering both live-event appeal and serialized narratives that encourage viewers to return every week.

The company’s Japanese audience now awaits the remaining specifics. WWE has confirmed the move, named Raw, SmackDown and NXT as part of the Netflix offering, and indicated that further details are forthcoming. ABEMA’s WWE coverage is scheduled to end with Raw on September 29, and the next chapter of WWE distribution in Japan is set to begin the following month.

Until WWE releases its complete programming plan, the central takeaway is clear: Netflix is becoming the new home for first-run WWE content in Japan. The upcoming rollout will determine exactly how the transition serves viewers, but the platform change itself represents a major development for WWE’s presence in the Japanese market.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.