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WWE is gearing up for a major weekend filled with must-see matches during the highly anticipated Royal Rumble 2024 taking place Saturday (Jan. 27), with the main card event starting at 8 p.m. ET on Peacock and pay-per-view.
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This marks the first big rumble on the road to WrestleMania 40, and is the first of four total PPV matches that will take place this year. Sixty contenders (30 men and 30 women) will fight for a chance to move up within the ranks, and with two championship titles up for grabs, it’s sure to be a exciting.
The fights will be livestreamed from Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla., which you can still purchase tickets to watch live through Ticketmaster, StubHub, Vivid Seats and Seat Geek (new users can score $10 off their first purchase of $250+ with code BILLBOARD10). If you’re not able to get some travel deals to see the fights live, you can still stream WWE Royal Rumble 2024 at home without cable through affordable streaming options.
Two main events will be taking place, including Roman Reigns defending his WWE Universal Championship title in a four-way match against Randy Orton, AJ Styles and LA Knight. Then, Logan Paul will be defending his WWE United States Championship title against Kevin Owens. The winner from each bout will be eligible for a title as they move on to fight against a champion of their choice during WrestleMania 40 on April 6.
Keep reading to learn how to watch the WWE matches live.
How to Watch WWE Royal Rumble 2024
Peacock will be exclusively livestreaming WWE Royal Rumble 2024 with some live cable providers offering a PPV package to watch the fights live. If you have cable, you can check with your cable provider to see if they offer WWE Royal Rumble 2024 and to purchase it on PPV. For Peacock subscribers, you can tune into the live event for no additional cost. Just log into your account once the main card event begins, and you’ll have access to the fights.
Don’t have a Peacock subscription? The streaming platform doesn’t offer a free trial, but does come with a couple of affordable plans starting at $5.99/month. Click here or the button below to start your subscription.
There are two different plans offered on Peacock: the Premium Plan for $5.99/month or the Premium Plus Plan for $11.99/month. If you’re looking for additional savings, you can save 17% off when you do the annual plan for $59.99/year or $119.99/year. With the Premium Plan, it’s ad-supported and you’ll receive more than 80,000 hours of TV, movies and sports, access to live sports events, current NBC and Bravo shows, 50+ always-on live TV channels as well as the ability to stream new, exclusive and original content from the streaming platform.
Peacock’s Premium Plus plan comes with everything in the Premium plan, no ads, your local NBC channel live and the ability to download and stream eligible content offline.
Alongside WWE Royal Rumble 2024, you’ll have access to the entire Peacock library as well as Bravo and NBC content including WrestleMania, Yellowstone, The Holdovers, Five Nights At Freddy’s, Vanderpump Rules, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Based on a True Story, Bel-Air, Kevin Hart: Reality Check, Poker Face, Saturday Night Live, Willie Nelson & Family and more.
Make sure you also grab official merch here to cheer on your favorite fighter or show some love for the major wrestling event.
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Source: Ethan Miller / Getty / WWE / Monday Night Raw
WWE’s Monday Night Raw is again on the move, and Netflix has made a significant push to be a force in live programming.
The professional wrestling world is shaking after the WWE announced it inked a $5B media rights deal with Netflix, which will see Monday Night Raw jump off the top ropes and land on the streaming giant starting in 2025.
This will also mark the first time Raw will not air episodes on a linear television network in its three-decades-long history. The popular wrestling program currently airs on the USA Network.
Per Variety:
WWE’s current deal with NBCUniversal has “Raw” airing on USA Network until October 2024. According to an individual with knowledge of the situation, exactly where “Raw” will air between the end of that deal and the beginning of the Netflix deal is still being determined.
Under the deal, Netflix will become the exclusive home of “Raw” in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Latin America, and other territories once the deal begins, with more countries and regions to be added over time. Netflix will also become the television home for all WWE shows outside the U.S. That includes fellow weekly shows “SmackDown” and “NXT” as well as annual live events like WrestleMania, SummerSlam, and the Royal Rumble, as well as documentaries, original series, and additional projects.
This partnership is one that will break new ground, and take @WWE to new heights. Thrilled to bring #WWERaw to @Netflix coming January 2025. Now we change the game!!!!” 14-time WWE Wolrd Champion, now Chief Content Officer of the company Triple H said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
Fans Emotions About The Deal Are All Over The Place
The WWE continues to be a massive force in the sport’s entertainment world. As you can imagine, fans are reacting to the news that they will now be “Netflix & Body Slamming.”
We shall see if this deal will positively or negatively affect the WWE’s momentum. It’s a huge win for Netflix as they push to show more live content.
News of the deal also arrives as one of its biggest superstars, Dwayne’ The Rock’ Johnson, joined the WWE and UFC board.
The streaming giant took its first step to show live events with Chris Rock’s post-Will Smith slap comedy special Selective Outrage and, most recently, the Screen Actors Guild Awards.
You can see more reactions in the gallery below.
1. Good question
2. We would be down for both with you Mami
3. Lol, damn
4. Definitely what is sounds like
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Dwayne Johnson, largely known by his pro wrestling moniker The Rock, rose from his time in the square circle to becoming one of Hollywood’s top draws. Johnson recently joined the company board that oversees the WWE and UFC and earned himself millions.
Dwayne Johnson, 51, was announced as the latest board member for TKO Group Holdings, Inc., a sports and entertainment company that recently merged the interests of the WWE and UFC on Tuesday (Jan. 23). The Rock has diversified his holdings via his production company Seven Bucks Productions, Teremana Tequila, ZOA Energy, and the UFL among other ventures. Now as a member of TKO Holdings’ board, Johnson not only earned substantial stock options but also retains full ownership of his stage name.
In a statement, Johnson spoke to the significance of his new role at TKO:
My grandfather, High Chief Peter Maivia, and my dad, Rocky ‘Soulman’ Johnson, would’ve never thought this day would come. Which is why I’m very humbled to have a seat at the table that has decades of history and family legacy for me. A table that my family helped to build. Being on the TKO Board of Directors, and taking full ownership of my name, ‘The Rock’, is not only unprecedented, but incredibly inspiring as my crazy life is coming full circle. At my core, I’m a builder who builds for and serves the people, and Ari is building something truly game changing. I’m very motivated to help continue to globally expand our TKO, WWE, and UFC businesses as the worldwide leaders in sports and entertainment — while proudly representing so many phenomenal athletes and performers who show up every day putting in the hard work with their own two hands to make their dreams come true and deliver for our audiences. I’ve been there, I’m still there and this is for them.
The move puts Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson back next to TKO’s Executive Chairman of the Board, Vince McMahon who said of the move, “Very few people on the planet understand the convergence of sports, entertainment, media, and business like Rock. We are proud to have him join the TKO board to help take our company to new heights.”
Salute to Dwayne Johnson aka The Rock for this latest win.
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Photo: Icon Sportswire / Getty
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes. Sports fans have more than Thursday Night Football to look forward to, as the NFL and WWE just dropped officially licensed […]
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Source: Neilson Barnard / Getty
Sad news out of the world of professional wrestling today, as the iconic wrestling heel known as The Iron Sheik has passed away.
Deadline is reporting that Hossein Khosrow Ali Vaziri aka The Iron Sheik, passed away at the age of 81 He is survived by three daughters and a son. Wrestling fans will remember the Iranian wrestler for his famous battles with the all-American hero, Hulk Hogan, during the WWF’s heyday in the 1980s. Though he was on the losing end more times than not, fans appreciated the villainous character he portrayed during his stint in professional wrestling and will forever be grateful for him making our childhoods that much more entertaining.
Deadline reports:
Initially performing under the ring name The Great Hossein Arab, he switched to The Iron Sheik after joining the then-WWF in the early 1980s (it was renamed as WWE in 2022). Donning traditional, if stereotypical, Arab garb, his role as wrestling’s premier villain coincided, and no doubt benefited, from the Iran Hostage Crisis of 1979-81.
By 1983, The Iron Sheik, with his trademark “Camel Clutch” maneuver, had become the only Iranian champion in WWE history, taking the belt that year when he defeated Bob Backlund at Madison Square Garden. The victory, according to the WWE, was a controversial one, as Backlund’s manager Arnold Skaaland threw in the towel after Backlund refused to submit.
The Iron Sheik held the title for just under a month before losing the championship to then-named Hollywood Hogan on January 23, 1984, in what is remembered as one of the most famous matches of all time. Although The Iron Sheik lost, he was involved in the match that launched the career of a soon-to-be-renamed Hulk Hogan and moving professional wrestling firmly into popular mainstream culture.
Those were the times. Sure the wrestling matches were slow as heck and had more body slams than off the top rope maneuvers, but still, they rocked.
Check out the family’s statement about the passing of The Iron Sheik below, and let us know your favorite Iron Sheik moment in the comments section.
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Bad Bunny defeated his former friend-turned-foe Damian Priest in a hellacious San Juan Street Fight at WWE’s premium live event Backlash on Saturday night (May 6).
The build-up to the match was enthralling: last month, Bunny involved himself in a skirmish between Priest’s villainous group, The Judgement Day, and WWE Hall of Famer Rey Mysterio. Priest — the stable’s muscle — showcased his unrelenting power, chokeslamming his former friend through a table.
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Weeks later, Bunny returned the favor, mercilessly attacking Priest with a kendo stick and challenging him to a San Juan Street Fight at the same show he would be hosting in Puerto Rico. On Friday (May 5), Bunny and Priest engaged in a face-off at the Backlash press conference, where the two exchanged verbal and physical blows. Priest shoved Bunny, and the musical titan sealed things with a slap, setting the table for Saturday night’s hotly anticipated showdown.
Saturday night at Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot, Bunny reveled in the hometown fervor, soaking in the electricity from the sold-out crowd. Sauntering down the ramp to his 2017 song “Chambea,” Bunny had a supermarket cart with several weapons on display, including kendo sticks, trash cans, and a bicycle chain. The 20-minute brawl was a battle of attrition. Priest’s brute strength and Bunny’s daredevil abilities highlighted the clash of styles and had wrestling aficionados buzzing.
Bunny dazzled as he landed an array of moves, most notably a tornado DDT from the top turnbuckle. To continue his high-flying antics, Bunny delivered a cross-body drop to Priest on the outside, leaving the big man stunned. While Benito flexed his surge of offense, Priest was equally dominant and merciless. He attacked Bunny with kendo sticks and later slammed him through a table with a resounding Broken Arrow, causing WWE officials to check on the banged-up singer. Distraught by Priest’s onslaught, fans wondered if Bunny could continue the match, but indeed he did.
Things intensified when members of Priest’s crew, The Judgement Day, came to his rescue and began viciously assaulting Bunny inside the ring. Initially, the numbers game seemed overwhelming for the hometown hero until help arrived in the form of WWE Hall of Famer Rey Mysterio and former WWE Puerto Rican legends Savio Vega and Carlito. A vicious battle ensued between Priest’s faction and Bunny’s allies, which later increased after Mysterio’s LWO crew came out and assisted in the efforts. Embroiled in combat outside the ring left Priest and Bunny back where they started — inside the square circle.
After Priest escaped a figure-four leglock submission, a hobbled Bunny attempted to end the match with a Sliced Bread No. 2 off, but to no avail, as Priest kicked out before the three count. Bunny’s signature move, the Bunny Destroyer, would leave Priest in the dust as he secured the three count and was triumphantly lifted in the air by his LWO peers in the middle of the ring.
The match was one of the night’s best, as Bunny proved why he’s a hit in and out of the ring.
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Source: Frazer Harrison/WWE 2011 / Getty
One of wrestling most enigmatic personalities will have to clear his name in court of law. Ted DiBiase Jr. is charged with stealing millions of dollars from a welfare fund.
As spotted on Yahoo Entertainment! the sports figure has some very serious charges looming over his head. On Thursday, April 20 the former WWE talent was hit with a federal indictment. “Theodore Marvin DiBiase Jr., 40, of Madison, along with co-conspirators John Davis, Christi Webb, Nancy New, and others, are alleged to have fraudulently obtained federal funds – including from The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) and the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program – that they misappropriated for their own personal use and benefit” the statement from The Department of Justice read.
John Davis reportedly served as the executive director of the Mississippi Department of Human Services. MDHS was issued federal funds that were then reallocated to non for profit organizations that were run by Christi Webb and Nancy New. They in turn awarded bogus contracts to DiBiase’s company Priceless Ventures LLC. According to the paperwork he is charged with “one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and to commit theft concerning programs receiving federal funds, six counts of wire fraud, two counts of theft concerning programs receiving federal funds, and four counts of money laundering.”
If found guilty Ted DiBiase Jr. faces a maximum penalty of five years of prison for conspiracy and a maximum of 20 years on the wire fraud. He has pled not guilty to all the charges. When asked by WAPT-TV for a comment he simply replied “Jesus loves you, brother. God bless you, man. That’s it.”
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Source: Ronald Martinez / Getty / Snoop Dogg
No one is living life more than Snoop Dogg.
Snoop Dogg’s post-rap career has been legendary. No, he isn’t retired from Hip-Hop, but he continues to scratch things off his bucket list.
The “Gin & Juice” crafter can now add a Wrestlemania win to his list of achievements. The Doggfather got his WWE win during an impromptu match between his co-host, The Miz, and Shane McMahon, who was making his return to the WWE ring.
For those who enjoy professional wrestling, everyone knows everything that happens in the ring is scripted, but sometimes things happen. Unfortunately for Shane O’ Mac, a freak injury knocked Vince McMahon’s son out of the game, but thankfully, Snoop Dogg was there to save the day.
In the first 15 seconds of the match, McMahon appeared to injure his knee after pulling off an acrobatic move forcing the company to make a game-time decision.
Who would have thought the audible the WWE would call would be Martha Stewart’s homie hopping the ring to show off his wrestling skills at Sofi Stadium in Los Angeles?
With some instruction from the referee, Snoop Dogg hit The Miz with a People’s Elbow, shoutout to The Rock, and secured the win with a pin.
Snoop Dogg Was Living At Wrestlemania
Wrestling Twitter was here for Uncle Snoop completing another side quest while handling hosting duties at Wrestlemania. “I just looked back and it seemed like Jessika Carr told Snoop Dogg to hit the People’s Elbow. What an incredible save to that segment,” one Twitter user wrote.
Snoop had himself a day. He also drove Rey Mysterio to the ring in a lowrider before his match against his son Dominik Mysterio to honor the late Eddie Guerrero.
Salute to Snoop Dogg. You can see more reactions to his fun time at Wrestlemania in the gallery below.
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Photo: Ronald Martinez / Getty
1. Triple H shows love to Snoop Dogg
2. For the culture
3. They need to make this happen immediately
WWE and the company that runs Ultimate Fighting Championship will combine to create a $21.4 billion sports entertainment company.
A new publicly traded company will house the UFC and World Wrestling Entertainment brands, with Endeavor Group Holdings Inc. taking a 51% controlling interest in the new company. Existing WWE shareholders will hold a 49% stake.
The companies put the enterprise value of UFC at $12.1 billion and WWE’s value at $9.3 billion.
The new business, which does not yet have a name, will be lead by Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel. Vince McMahon, executive chairman at WWE, will serve in the same role at the new company. Dana White will continue as president of UFC and Nick Khan will be president at WWE.
“Together, we will be a $21+ billion live sports and entertainment powerhouse with a collective fanbase of more than a billion people and an exciting growth opportunity,” McMahon said in a prepared statement Monday.
He also provided some idea of where the focus of the new company will be, saying that it will look to maximize the value of combined media rights, enhance sponsorship monetization, develop new forms of content and pursue other strategic mergers and acquisitions to further bolster their brands.
Ties already exists talent wise between WWE and UFC, with stars such as Brock Lesnar and Ronda Rousey crossing over between the two businesses.
The deal between Endeavor and WWE catapults WWE into a new era, after functioning as a family-run business for decades. McMahon purchased Capitol Wrestling from his father in 1982, and took the regional wrestling business to a national audience with the likes of wrestling stars such as Andre the Giant, Hulk Hogan and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. The company, which changed its name to World Wrestling Federation and later World Wrestling Entertainment, hosted its first WrestleMania in 1985.
McMahon, in an interview with CNBC, addressed the notion that there was doubt among some WWE fans and industry experts that he would ever make a deal for the business. “It’s the right time to do the right thing. And it’s the next evolution of WWE,” he said.
The announcement of the WWE sale arrives after McMahon, the founder and majority shareholder of WWE, returned to the company in January and said that it could be up for sale.
Rumors swirled about who would possibly be interested in buying WWE, with Endeavor, Disney, Fox, Comcast, Amazon and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund all in the mix.
McMahon acknowledged to CNBC that there were several suitors for WWE, but that combining with Endeavor is the right move.
“It makes all the sense in the world for all these synergies that we have to extract all of the value that we can out of the marketplace,” he explained.
Media industry analysts viewed WWE as an attractive target given its global reach and loyal fanbase, which includes everyone from minors to seniors and a wide range of incomes.
The company held its marquee event, WrestleMania, over the weekend. Last year, WWE booked revenue of $1.3 billion.
The company is also a social media powerhouse. It surpassed 16 billion social video views in the final quarter of last year. It has nearly 94 million YouTube subscribers and has more than 20 million followers on TikTok. Its female wrestlers comprise five out of the top 15 most followed female athletes in the world, across Facebook, Twitter & Instagram, led by Ronda Rousey with 36.1 million followers.
WWE had more than 7.5 billion digital and social media views in January and February of this year, up 15% from the same time frame a year ago.
The new company plans to trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the “TKO” ticker symbol. Its board will have 11 members, with six being appointed by Endeavor and five being appointed by WWE.
“We like the assets of UFC and also WWE in a world where linear TV is losing market share to streaming, thus live sport content is in high demand,” wrote Jeffries analyst Randal Konik said in a note to clients.
The transaction, which was approved by the boards of Endeavor and WWE, is targeted to close in the second half of the year. It still needs regulatory approval.
Shares of World Wrestling Entertainment Inc., based in Stamford, Connecticut, are up 33% this year, but fell 5% at the opening bell Monday. Shares of Endeavor, based in Beverly Hills, California, slipped less than 1%.
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Countdown to WrestleMania! Later this week, wrestling enthusiasts will converge at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., for WrestleMania 39.
For fans who plan to watch from home but are unsure of when and how to catch the sporting event, we’ve rounded up everything you need to know to help you get started.
Read on for more details.
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How to Stream WrestleMania on Peacock
WrestleMania 39 will begin streaming exclusively on Peacock on Saturday (April 1) at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. Pre-show coverage starts at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT.
The main wrestling event streams Sunday (April 2) at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. Pre-show coverage launches Sunday at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT on Peacock.
As the exclusive home of WWE, Peacock is the main destination to stream live WWE pay-per-view events including WrestleMania and SummerSlam, along with shows such as NXT, NXT UK and WWE 205 Live, as well as replays of Raw, SmackDown, WWE documentaries and more.
Not subscribed to Peacock? Monthly plans start at $4.99/month for Peacock Premium and $9.99/month for Peacock Premium Plus. Save 17% when you subscribe to Peacock’s annual plans for $49.99 or $99.99.
Peacock $4.99/month
The subscription includes 80,000 hours of hit shows, movies, access to big films fresh from theaters and other sporting events such Sunday Night Football and MLB Sunday Leadoff.
Peacock Premium Plus subscribers can enjoy ad-free streaming, access to your local NBC channel, plus the ability to download select titles and watch them offline.
What’s currently streaming on Peacock? Bingeworthy series such as Poker Face, Bel-Air, Queens Court, The Best Man: The Final Chapters, The Real Housewives: Ultimate Girls Trip, The Real Housewives of Miami, Days of Our Lives, The Traitors, Sick, Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin, The Calling and A Friend of the Family are steaming on Peacock, in addition to NBC and Bravo shows like SWV and Xscape: The Queens of R&B, Vanderpump Rules and Below Deck a day after they air on TV.
Episodes of The Office, That ’70s Show, Yellowstone and other beloved series are also streaming on Peacock.
Can you stream WrestleMania internationally? To stream WrestleMania on Peacock from outside of the U.S., use ExpressVPN.
WrestleMania 2023 Matches: Roman Reigns vs. Cody Rhodes & More
This year’s WrestleMania match card is stacked with must-see bouts such as the marquee match between Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship title.
Elsewhere on the match card, Asuka and Bianca Blair will face off in the WWE Raw Women’s Championship match, while Rhea Ripley and Charlotte Flair will participate in the WWE Smackdown Women’s Championship match.
Other matches include Rey Mysterio vs. his son Dominik Mysterio, Seth Rolins vs. Logan Paul, Brock Lesnar vs. Omos and Austin Theory vs. John Cena.
WrestleMania Weekend Events: How to Stream the 2023 WWE Hall of Fame on Peacock
WrestleMania Weekend kicks off with the 2023 WWE Hall of Fame on Friday (March 31). The ceremony will honor WWE icons such as Stacy Keibler, who was announced as a Hall of Fame inductee on Monday (March 27).
Keibler joins Óscar “Rey Mysterio” Gutiérrez, Keiji “The Great Muta” Muto and Andy Kaufman in this year’s Hall of Fame class.
The 2023 WWE Hall of Fame ceremony will stream on Peacock Friday at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. On Saturday, fans will be able to watch their favorite NXT stars on NXT Stand & Deliver streaming live from the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles at 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT on Peacock.
WrestleMania Weekend is packed with festivities and there’s still time to watch it all go down live –without spending a fortune in the process. Right now, WrestleMania tickets are priced online for approximately $180 and up.
Looking for last-minute tickets to WrestleMania? Click here.