Every Netflix user in UK faces a £1,000 fine from the early hours of Saturday. Netflix has acquired rights to WWE, World Wrestling Entertainment, with its flagship show Monday Night RAW airing in the early hours of Tuesday on the streaming giant.
Other shows on Netflix include Friday Night SmackDown, which airs on Saturday mornings UK-time, in the early hours, as well as developmental show NXT, and premium live events like WrestleMania, the Royal Rumble, Survivor Series, Summerslam, Elimination Chamber and Crown Jewel, which are hosted from Saudi Arabia.
But viewers are warned any form of live broadcasting in the UK requires a TV licence by law, regardless of the platform used. Daniel McAfee, Head of Legal Operations at Lawhive, has cleared up the rules and says that regular Netflix viewing doesn’t require a TV licence.
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He said: “For standard, on-demand content such as TV series, films, or other non-live programming on Netflix, a TV licence is not required.” But he warned that “under UK law, any live television broadcast requires a valid TV licence, regardless of the streaming platform.”
Those caught watching live content without a licence face fines up to £1,000, or £2,000 in Guernsey. The second edition of WWE Raw on Netflix began at at 1am GMT (8pm EST) in the early hours of Tuesday morning, lasting until 4am.
Those with a subscription can watch WWE Raw live on Netflix at no additional cost, while they can also catch up in full after the event. Matches this week included Chad Gable vs. Penta, in the latter’s WWE debut following his move from rival AEW.
Other matches included a Street Fight between former Judgement Day faction members Damian Priest and Finn Balor, and also Sheamus vs. Ludwig Kaiser. The WWE Women’s Intercontinental Championship Tournament Final was also held.
In an exciting match, Dakota Kai vs. Lyra Valkyria saw the latter crowned the inaugural champion.