With the 2022 Royal Rumble approaching, WWE and Disney have come to a multi-year agreement that will make Disney+ Hotstar the exclusive streaming home of WWE Network in Indonesia. This is the first deal that the two companies have agreed to and will begin on January 30, the same day the Royal Rumble begins.
The deal is similar to the WWE-Peacock deal in the U.S., Disney+ Hotstar subscribers in Indonesia will be able to stream library content, live pay-per-views and premium events, and WWE originals as part of the standard tier service.
“As the home of global, regional and Indonesian hits, we’re excited to welcome the extensive library of content from WWE Network to the ever expanding slate of Disney+ Hotstar. With this new content on Disney+ Hotstar, we hope to expand our reach and engage even more audiences in Indonesia,” said Vineet Puri, General Manager, Indonesia, The Walt Disney Company.
The new deal could be part of WWE president Nick Khan’s strategy to pair the company’s content with popular streaming services in the future. This is the company’s first deal with Disney, but in the US, they have deals with two of the Big Fours: FOX, and NBCUniversal.
“The Walt Disney Company has long been the gold standard in creating iconic intellectual property that serves as the backbone for international business growth,” said Nick Khan, WWE President. “Partnering with Disney+ Hotstar will allow us to deliver WWE Network content including WrestleMania on a best-in-class platform to our existing fans in Indonesia while also introducing WWE to new audiences in the region as Disney+ continues to expand its reach internationally.”
The wrestling promotion had a deal in Latin America through FOX, which Disney inherited as part of the merger. Disney also owns Hulu, which has a deal with the WWE that is expiring sometime this year. The Hulu deal includes U.S. re-air rights for RAW and Smackdown, along with WWE Main Event.