Netflix users face £1,000 fines for putting on popular show in UK this week

Netflix viewers opting to watch Monday Night Raw, WWE's flagship show, live in the early hours of Tuesday mornings are at risk if they don't hold a BBC TV Licence.
-Credit:Reach Publishing Services Limited


Netflix viewers putting on a popular show face £1,000 fines in the UK this week. Netflix viewers opting to watch Monday Night Raw, WWE's flagship show, live in the early hours of Tuesday mornings are at risk if they don't hold a BBC TV Licence.

WWE's flagship weekly wresting show WWE Raw premiered on the streaming service earlier this month. But TV fans have to remember that you need a TV licence to watch live television, it has been warned.

The wrestling show will air live on Netflix every single week on Mondays at 1am, and it will be also available on demand. After the premier, the show landed at number 4 in Netflix’s weekly global TV rankings, with 4.9million live viewers globally - and overtaking Squid Game 2.

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Daniel McAfee, who is head of legal operations at Lawhive, has said: "Under UK law, any live television broadcast requires a valid TV Licence, regardless of the streaming platform." Speaking about the decision to air WWE Raw on Netflix, TKO President and COO said last year: "This deal is transformative.

"It marries the can’t-miss WWE product with Netflix’s extraordinary global reach and locks in significant and predictable economics for many years. Our partnership fundamentally alters and strengthens the media landscape, dramatically expands the reach of WWE, and brings weekly live appointment viewing to Netflix.

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Meanwhile Netflix chief content officer, Bela Bajaria said: "We are excited to have WWE Raw, with its huge and passionate multigenerational fan base, on Netflix. By combining our reach, recommendations, and fandom with WWE, we’ll be able to deliver more joy and value for their audiences and our members.

"Raw is the best of sports entertainment, blending great characters and storytelling with live action 52 weeks a year and we’re thrilled to be in this long-term partnership with WWE."