Eric Bischoff Expresses Confusion Over WWE’s Multi-Billion-Dollar Deal With Netflix Amid Vince McMahon Scandal
Eric Bischoff, a well-known determine within the world of expert wrestling, is perplexed. The former WWE Executive Director and Hall of Famer recently voiced his confusion and issues about WWE’s unheard of address Netflix, a deal that’s left him scratching his head. On January 6th, 2025, WWE’s flagship show, Raw, will officially start streaming on Netflix, marking a historic $five billion settlement. This transition indicates a huge shift, as WWE’s Raw steps away from broadcast tv for the first time when you consider that its debut in 1993, making it to be had exclusively at the streaming platform.
While this new mission with Netflix is financially groundbreaking, Bischoff’s confusion stems from what seems to be a contradiction. Before the streaming massive starts airing Raw, Netflix is slated to launch a six-component docuseries detailing the lifestyles and profession of WWE Chairman Vince McMahon, a man with a legacy entangled in numerous controversies and legal battles. The docuseries promises to dive deep into McMahon’s existence, his reign in professional wrestling, and the scandals which have defined a lot of his career — some of that have been explosive sufficient to ship shockwaves through the enterprise.
Among the subjects predicted to be blanketed in the docuseries is the current lawsuit filed by way of Janel Grant in January of this yr. The lawsuit named each Vince McMahon and WWE’s former head of talent relations, John Laurinaitis, and it alleges that each guys engaged in heinous acts, such as sex trafficking and sexual attack. These accusations have placed a darkish cloud over McMahon and WWE, leaving many to surprise why the employer might align itself with Netflix while the sort of documentary, exposing McMahon’s controversial past, looms on the horizon.
During a recent episode of his 83 Weeks podcast, Bischoff brazenly puzzled WWE’s choice to companion with Netflix below those instances. For Bischoff, the timing of the documentary’s release, along side WWE’s essential circulate to Netflix, is complicated and will have extreme ramifications for the business enterprise’s emblem.
“I’m confused. The situation is confusing for me. This is Netflix, who just signed a $5 billion deal with WWE. The ink is still drying, they haven’t even had their first show yet, but Netflix is going to take, what has been the face of WWE, and they’re going to expose him to the world in a way that is not going to be flattering to the brand. One would think it would not be flattering to the brand,” said Bischoff on his podcast.
The Hall of Famer’s bewilderment stems from the perception that the documentary may want to doubtlessly harm WWE’s public picture at a time when the employer need to be celebrating its groundbreaking streaming deal. Bischoff is especially puzzled via the optics: why could Netflix, a business enterprise poised to end up the specific home of WWE’s flagship show, release a series that casts its principal figurehead, Vince McMahon, in a poor light?
Speculating in addition, Bischoff suggested that the discharge of the docuseries might be part of an attempt to further distance WWE’s parent enterprise, TKO Group Holdings, from McMahon. Since WWE merged with UFC beneath TKO Group Holdings in 2023, McMahon has retained an government position but confronted non-stop scrutiny over his involvement in WWE’s day-to-day operations. This documentary could be seen as a calculated pass to in addition separate McMahon’s legacy from WWE’s modern-day trajectory.
“There’s no need to do this unless there’s a reason for it — to further distance TKO from Vince McMahon. Otherwise, it’s just confusing as hell,” Bischoff emphasized.
The uncertainty surrounding McMahon’s impact and the imminent documentary best provides another layer of complexity to WWE’s evolving dating with Netflix. For wrestling fans, it’s a curious juxtaposition: a streaming giant poised to come to be WWE’s new broadcast domestic, whilst simultaneously shining a spotlight at the agency’s maximum arguable figure. For Bischoff, and likely many others, this increases vital questions about the strategy at the back of WWE’s relationship with Netflix and the ability lengthy-term consequences.
Eric Bischoff’s issues may reflect a broader sentiment in the wrestling network, in which loyalty to the brand and difficulty for its legacy run deep. While Bischoff has now not been immediately worried with WWE due to the fact 2019 — when he served because the Executive Director of SmackDown for a quick 4-month stint — his perception into the industry stays beneficial. Inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2021, Bischoff keeps to provide a essential lens on WWE’s commercial enterprise selections, and on this example, he’s not preserving again.
As WWE gears as much as embark on a brand new technology with Netflix, simplest time will tell if this partnership can triumph over the demanding situations that appear to be lurking just beneath the floor. With the McMahon docuseries set to air, the wrestling global could be watching intently to see how the streaming large and the wrestling powerhouse navigate this doubtlessly volatile state of affairs.
H/t to Wrestling Inc
