WWE has signed a new 5-year contract with the UK’s BSkyB (Sky Sports) that will keep RAW and SmackDown on the network through 2019, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
The deal includes all 12 monthly PPV shows, which Sky will sell as PPV events on Sky Box Office. WWE Main Event will also premiere on Sky Sports soon.
The financial terms were not revealed, but it’s believed that WWE will be getting at least 3-times as much as the previous contract.
WWE executive Gerrit Meier that BSkyB was not concerned about the WWE Network cannibalizing their TV audience, but actually sees the Network as “extremely complimentary” to the shows BSkyB is paying for. “We have partners that see it similarly. They see it as a major boost to the brand, the fan engagement, and to their own viewership,” Meier said.
The report noted that WWE also signed a five-year deal with Cable Thai Holdings in Thailand.
The news comes in the midst of WWE’s ongoing TV negotiations with NBC Universal, with WWE looking for a similar deal in the United States.
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