WWE: New TV Deal for Middle East & North Africa, WrestleMania 38 to Air in Theaters, Gable Steveson

WWE

Mar 23, 2022

WWE Announces New TV Deal for Middle East & North Africa

WWE announced that they have recently signed a new television deal with MBC Group for their Middle Eastern and North African television markets.

It was announced that MBC’s video on demand streaming service Shadid will become the new home of WWE’s programming in Saudia Arabia and the rest of the MENA region.

Official press release:

Streaming Service Shahid to Become the New Home of WWE in MENA, including All Premium Live Events and Live Episodes of Raw and SmackDown
STAMFORD, Conn. & DUBAI, United Arab Emirates–(BUSINESS WIRE)– WWE (NYSE: WWE) and MBC GROUP – the largest and leading group in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) – today announced a major broadcast partnership that will see MBC’s video on demand (VOD) streaming service, Shahid, become the new home of WWE in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the rest of the MENA region.
The partnership includes all WWE premium live events, kicking off with WrestleMania 38 on April 3rd and April 4th, live episodes of Raw and SmackDown, as well as WWE Network’s vast library of original programming and archived content.
Additionally, MBC ACTION, a free-to-air television channel by MBC GROUP, will broadcast one-hour highlight versions of Rawand SmackDown each week, in addition to WWE magazine shows Afterburn and Main Event.
“MBC GROUP is a market leader in the region and a great partner for WWE,” said WWE President Nick Khan. “By delivering our premium live events including WrestleMania and SummerSlam, our weekly programming including Raw and SmackDown, as well as WWE’s massive library, we believe we will expand our reach throughout the Middle East and North Africa.”
Natasha Hemingway, Chief Commercial and Marketing Officer at Shahid, added: “It’s no secret that WWE is massively popular in Saudi Arabia and the rest of the MENA region. This new partnership is sure to be incredibly exciting for fans, and with more and more live sporting events – including WWE – coming to the Kingdom, we cannot wait to see where this partnership takes us. We’re delighted that Shahid will be the home of WWE!”
Beginning 26 March 2022, Shahid will air SmackDown live on Saturdays at 4am KSA in Arabic, with a one-hour version of SmackDown then airing the same-day with Arabic subtitles on MBC Action at 9PM KSA. Beginning Tuesday, March 29, Shahid will air Raw live on Tuesdays at 4am KSA in Arabic, with a one-hour version of Raw then airing the same-day with Arabic subtitles on MBC Action at 9PM KSA.
The weekly programming will be broadcast 52 weeks a year, captivating fans with a unique combination of edge-of-your-seat action, unpredictable drama and world-class athleticism.
In addition to weekly programming, Shahid will launch a dedicated WWE channel making the entire WWE Network archive – more than 10,000 hours of content – available to stream on-demand. The new WWE destination on Shahid will allow fans to browse and access the entire library including NXT airing next day following the US broadcast.
Shahid is currently available on the Apple devices, including iPhone, iPad, Apple TV 4K, and Apple TV HD; Google platforms and devices, including Android, Android TV devices, Chromecast, and Chromecast built-in devices; PCs, Macs, and a wide range of connected Smart TVs including Samsung, LG, Hisense, TCL, Sony & Toshiba.

WrestleMania 38 to Air in Theaters in U.S. & Canada

WWE announced that they have recently signed a partnership deal with Fathom Events to air their upcoming WrestleMania 38 event in select theaters in the United States.

Official press release:

WRESTLEMANIA^® TO AIR LIVE IN THEATERS NATIONWIDE
STAMFORD, Conn., March 23, 2022 – WWE (NYSE: WWE) and Fathom Events today announced a new agreement that brings WrestleMania, WWE’s biggest event of the year, to movie theaters nationwide. The two-night event will air live on Saturday, April 2 and Sunday, April 3 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT from AT&T Stadium in Dallas.
“Fathom Events is the leader in the event cinema industry and they can deliver a unique and exciting experience to WWE fans who can’t make it to Dallas for WrestleMania,” said Emilio Revelo, WWE Vice President. “We are thrilled to partner with them as we bring our biggest event of the year to big screens nationwide.”
“Any fan knows that WrestleMania is WWE’s most pivotal event and Fathom Events is excited to bring these blockbuster match-ups to movie theaters nationwide,” said Ray Nutt, CEO of Fathom Events. “We’re also very proud to be working with WWE on this event and many more in the future.”
WrestleMania 38 will feature several high-stakes championship matchups including the Biggest WrestleMania Match of All-Time between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns – A Winner Take All Championship Unification Match. Learn more about the pop-culture extravaganza at wwe.com/wrestlemania.
Tickets to see WrestleMania 38 live in theaters can be purchased online at www.fathomevents.com or at participating theater box offices. A complete list of theater locations* is available on the Fathom Events website. WrestleMania will not be available in theaters in Texas.
*Subject to change

Besides the United States, PWInsider’s Mike Johnson reported that WrestleMania 38 will also be airing in select theaters in Canada as well.

Gable Steveson Comments on His WrestleMania 38 Plans

Sports Illustrated held a recent interview with Gable Steveson. One of the topics discussed included Steveson revealing that he is currently planning to be at WWE’s WrestleMania 38 event next month in Dallas, Texas.