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Tag: SummerSlam

  • Come 1 April, WWE will bodyslam its way onto Netflix in India

    Come 1 April, WWE will bodyslam its way onto Netflix in India

    MUMBAI: In a spectacular manoeuvre that has the wrestling world buzzing, WWE has officially announced its debut on Netflix India, following a colossal $5 billion deal that will see the streaming giant become the new home of spandex-clad drama and high-flying action.

    Starting 1 April 2025, Indian fans can swap their remote-wrestling for front-row streaming as WWE’s chief content officer, Paul “Triple H” Levesque, delivered the news via YouTube with all the dramatic flair of a perfectly executed entrance theme.

    “The Netflix era is upon us,” declared Triple H, confirming that Indian viewers will soon have uninterrupted access to RAW, SmackDown, NXT, and premium live events including SummerSlam, Money in the Bank, and the crown jewel – WrestleMania.

    The streaming platform isn’t just pinning down the basics. Netflix will unleash a treasure trove of archival content from the WWE vault, giving fans the opportunity to bodyslam their way through decades of wrestling nostalgia.

    “Created for fans and presented live and in living colour,” announced Netflix, “we’re stepping into the ring with WWE, showcasing serialised storytelling and high-adrenaline action three times a week, 52 weeks a year.”

    After years of WWE content being broadcast through Sony Sports Network – whose five-year deal taps out in March – this move represents a championship belt change in how Indian audiences consume their favourite squared-circle entertainment.

    In a move that would make any good tag-team partner proud, Netflix is also introducing Hindi commentary, ensuring that even the verbal smackdowns translate perfectly to the local audience.

    “Through this partnership, WWE fans in India will have seamless and immersive access to all WWE programming,” WWE declared in its press release, effectively drop-kicking barriers to viewing.

    With India boasting one of WWE’s most devoted international fanbases, this Netflix partnership promises to clothesline the competition and reach even more enthusiasts with its unique cocktail of athleticism, drama, and larger-than-life storytelling.

    The question on everyone’s lips now isn’t “Can you smell what The Rock is cooking?” but rather, “Are your streaming devices ready?” 

    As WWE prepares to power-bomb its way onto Netflix India, fans can expect nothing less than a championship-calibre viewing experience.

  • WWE takes over New York City with ‘SummerSlam’

    WWE takes over New York City with ‘SummerSlam’

    MUMBAI: For the first time since 2007, WWE’s SummerSlam returns to the NYC-Metro area with a week-long lineup of events including interactive fan experiences and community outreach programmes covering all five NYC boroughs. SummerSlam takes place this Sunday, August 23, live on WWE Network at 7 p.m. ET from a sold-out Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The events begin today and include:

     

    ·         Children’s Hospital Visits – Wednesday, August 19

    WWE Superstars and Tag Team Champions Titus O’Neil® and Darren Young® will be at the Brooklyn Medical Center Pediatric Wing and WWE Superstar Dean Ambrose® will be joined by WWE Diva Alicia Fox® at St. Mary’s Hospital for Children in Queens. On both occasions, they will visit with patients and hand out WWE Mattel toys.

     

    ·         Brooklyn Cyclones Celebrity Softball Game – Wednesday, August 19

    The Brooklyn Cyclones and WWE have partnered for SummerSlam Night.  As part of the night’s festivities, WWE Superstars and Divas including Ryback, Fandango, Eva Marie and Charlotte, will join members of the FDNY, NYPD and other celebrities in a pre-game Celebrity/Civil Servants All-Star Challenge and softball game prior to the 7 p.m. Cyclones game against the Lowell Spinners.  Also scheduled to participate in the celebrity game are NBA Hall of Famer and current St. John’s Men’s Basketball Coach Chris Mullin, Mets Hall of Famer John Franco, Greg Kelly & Rosanna Scotto – the hosts of Good Day New York – and many others. 

     

    ·         SummerSlam Reading Celebration – Thursday, August 20

    WWE and First Book will host a reading celebration at JCC Cornerstone Program at Todt Hill Community Center in Staten Island. WWE Superstar Dolph Ziggler and WWE Divas Nikki Bella and Brie Bella will read to local Staten Island students from grades 1-3 to promote the importance of literacy. A book donation will be made to all students in attendance.

     

    ·         Firehouse and Police Precinct Visits to Support “Answer the Call” – Thursday, August 20

    WWE is joining forces with Hollywood celebrities and professional athletes through a global online auction on Charitybuzz.com, featuring unique, once-in-a-lifetime experiences in support of “Answer The Call,” the New York Police and Fire Widows’ and Children’s Benefit Fund.  To help raise awareness for the program, WWE Superstars Roman Reigns, Jimmy Uso, Jey Uso, Kofi Kingston, Big E and Xavier Woods, and WWE Diva Summer Rae will be visiting firehouses and police precincts around New York City.    

     

    ·         “Be a STAR” (Show Tolerance and Respect) Anti-Bullying Rally – Thursday, August 20

    WWE will host an anti-bullying rally at the Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club in the Bronx, featuring Be A STAR alliance members, Facebook, GLAAD and DoSomething.org. WWE Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon, Facebook Trust and Safety Manager, Emily Vacher and GLAAD Vice President of Programs Zeke Stokes will join WWE Superstars Kofi Kingston and Sheamus, and WWE Diva Eva Marie to deliver bullying prevention messages to more than 250 children between the ages of 6-15.

     

    ·         Hire Heroes Veteran Employment Panel & Event – Friday, August 21

    WWE, in partnership with Barclays Center and Orion International will host a Veterans Career Panel and Networking Event in support of Hire Heroes USA (HHUSA) for nearly 80 veterans. Corporate HR and Brand Executives from WWE, ESPN, Marvel, Priceline, MTA, LinkedIn and Colgate will be in attendance to discuss veteran hiring practices. WWE Superstars The Usos, WWE Diva Naomi® and WWE NXT Superstars Enzo Amore and Colin Cassady, will also be on-hand to speak with the veterans. The event will consist of a panel, networking opportunities and career coaching stations.

     

    ·         John Cena 500th Wish Celebration – Friday, August 21

    Make-A-Wish and WWE will celebrate WWE Superstar John Cena becoming the first celebrity in history to grant 500 wishes. The event, which is being hosted at Dave & Buster’s Times Square, will feature appearances by WWE Superstar John Cena, WWE Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon, Make-A-Wish America CEO David Williams, WWE Superstar Sheamus, WWE Divas The Bellas and Wish children and their families.

     

    ·         New York Stock Exchange Opening Bell – Friday, August 21

    In celebration of SummerSlam and WWE Superstar John Cena’s 500th Wish, Cena, WWE Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon and Make-A-Wish America CEO David Williams will accompany seven Wish kids, and ring the Opening Bell at the New York Stock Exchange. For more than a decade, Cena has been granting the wishes of children through WWE’s partnership with Make-A-Wish which began more than 30 years ago. To date, WWE Superstars and Divas have granted more than 6,000 wishes, more than any other sports and entertainment organization. 

     

    ·         Superstar Meet and Greets – Friday, August 21 & Saturday, August 22

    These exclusive fan sessions will give the WWE Universe an opportunity to get autographs and photos with their favorite Superstars and Divas including WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins; Randy Orton®; Roman Reigns; Dean Ambrose; Bray Wyatt; WWE Divas Charlotte, Paige and Becky Lynch; WWE Legend Sting; and WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels.

     

    ·         Susan G. Komen Community Health Fair – Saturday, August 22

    WWE and Susan G. Komen will be supporting a community health fair featuring Komen’s Scan Van, offering mobile mammograms and information on Race for the Cure. WWE Divas Tamina™, Alicia Fox™, Naomi™, and Natalya™ and WWE Superstars Titus O’Neil and Darren Young will take part in a meet and greet at the Church of the Revelation in the Bronx to promote breast health education and the importance of early detection.

     

    ·         NXT Takeover Brooklyn – Saturday, August 22

    On the night before the biggest event of the summer, WWE’s next generation of Superstars and Divas will perform at a sold-out Barclays Center with the biggest NXT Takeover yet. Finn Balor’s reign as NXT Champion hangs in the balance when he takes on Kevin Owens in a Ladder Match.  NXT Takeover Brooklyn can be seen live on WWE Network at 9 p.m. ET.

     

    ·         SummerSlam – Sunday, August 23
    A sold-out crowd will converge on Barclays Center for SummerSlam. WWE’s biggest event of the summer, which can be seen live on WWE Network at 7 p.m. ET, will feature WWE Superstars Undertaker® and Brock Lesnar® in a rematch of their historic WrestleMania 30 bout where Lesnar ended Undertaker’s 21-year undefeated streak.   

     

    ·         Monday Night Raw – Monday, August 24
    The night after SummerSlam, Monday Night Raw takes place at a sold-out Barclays Center for the third night in a row, where fans can see their favorite WWE Superstars and Divas.  MondayNight Raw is the longest-running, weekly episodic program in U.S. primetime TV history and is one of the most-watched, regularly scheduled programs on cable, airing live every Monday night on USA Network. 

  • Ten Sports to continue as the arena for WWE till 2019

    Ten Sports to continue as the arena for WWE till 2019

    MUMBAI: As reported first by indiantelevision.com, Taj TV and World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) have reached a new agreement starting January 2015 during which WWE will be available exclusively on the Ten Sports Network for a further five years till 2019. WWE has been broadcasted on Ten Sports since the launch of the channel in 2002.

    Established flagship shows: RAW and Smackdown will air on prime time for Indian audiences featuring top superstars. WWE show NXT which brings the best action from the rising WWE superstars and total divas, a WWE reality show will also be aired on the network. Ten Sports will also offer these flagship shows in new shorter versions including a customised one hour RAW programme with a local flavour tailor-made for the Indian audience.

    “Monthly specials including Wrestlemania, SummerSlam, Royal Rumble, Survivor Series etc. have gained extreme popularity among viewers in India with high viewership numbers and increased viewer interaction and engagement across platforms,” says the channel. These specials along with the weekly RAW show will for the first time be carried live in India on the network which will also include the popular Main Event.

    On acquiring the property in this genre, Ten Sports CEO Rajesh Sethi said, “We are very delighted to extend our long standing successful partnership with WWE for the Indian subcontinent. WWE shows are enormously popular in the region and WWE broadcasts are synonymous with the Ten Sports Network having been broadcasted on our channels since 2002. With this new deal till 2019, we promise to offer more hi-quality entertainment and breakthrough programming and engagement opportunities for fans.”

    WWE executive vice president international Gerrit Meier said that India remains a strategically important market for WWE. He added, “We are thrilled to continue our long-term partnership with Ten Sports, the region’s leader in sports programming. As the value of the WWE brand and our content continues to increase around the world, the scale and scope of this new agreement illustrates our ability to drive a passionate and engaged audience as well as the potential we have for future growth.”

    Ten Sports will also air WWE content in multiple Indian languages for the first time and bring WWE live events back to India in 2015.

    Sethi said, “We have the key building blocks in place to consolidate our position as a leading sports network in the sub-continent and we are confident of increasing our market share in times to come. With the retention of WWE rights, we are well on the path to achieve and exceed our planned success.”

    The agreement marks another major coup for Ten Sports Network that recently announced major acquisitions including UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League Rights, Commonwealth Games 2018, English Football Rights, German Cup amongst others.