Nick Khan On WWE's New Deal With Disney
WWE President & Chief Revenue Officer Nick Khan has issued comments on WWE's first-ever deal with Disney.
As noted, WWE and Disney announced today that they have cut their first deal together. The exclusive agreement will see Disney carry the WWE Network in Indonesia via their Disney+ Hotstar service, beginning this Sunday, January 30 with the Royal Rumble event that takes place the day before.
In an update, comments from Khan were included in a translated press release issued by Disney+ Hotstar earlier today. Khan praised Disney and said the new deal will allow WWE to deliver its content on a best-in-class platform to existing fans in Indonesia, while introducing the company to new audiences in the region.
"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."
Vineet Puri, The Walt Disney Company's General Manager of Indonesia, added, "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."
The new Disney – WWE agreement will also make all WWE events available to Disney+ Hotstar subscribers via a standard subscription. All events will be covered in the Bahasa Indonesian language, and English. Select WWE Network content will also be available for viewing.
This is the first actual deal between WWE and Disney, but the two entertainment giants already have an established working relationship. WWE previously signed deals with FOX in Latin America, which were inherited by Disney as part of its 2019 acquisition of FOX entertainment assets. Disney-majority-owned Hulu also holds the United States re-air rights for RAW and SmackDown, which are up at the end of the year, and the U.S. rights to WWE Main Event.
Stay tuned for more.