WWE Network Rolls Out in China

WWE and PPTV have secured a deal that will see WWE Network become available in China for the first time.

On Friday, August 18, WWE Network will launch exclusively on PPTV as an SVOD service featuring all WWE live pay-per-view events, including WrestleMania and the upcoming SummerSlam. PPTV customers can download the PPTV app and watch WWE Network content via smart TVs, set-top boxes, mobile devices and tablets. The content will also be available via www.wwe.cn, www.PPTV.com and www.Sports.PPTV.com. The lineup also features original series such as NXT and 205 Live, reality shows like Total Divas, documentaries and classic matches from WWE. PPTV will continue to expand WWE Network’s VOD library, adding more than 1,000 hours of content over the next 12 months.

In addition to offering WWE Network as a subscription service, PPTV will offer its customers premium live events such as WrestleMania, SummerSlam, Royal Rumble and Survivor Series, as well as other WWE Network specials on a pay-per-view basis. Fans can watch SummerSlam live in Mandarin on Monday, August 21, at 7 a.m. WWE short-form content is available on PPTV’s digital platforms. This year, WrestleMania was made available in China for the first time via PPTV.

“When we began our exclusive partnership with WWE, we brought WWE’s signature programming Raw and SmackDown to PPTV and received a great response from WWE fans in China,” said Godfrey Zeng, the executive VP of Suning Sports Media, parent company of PPTV. “In April, we offered WrestleMania as a pay-per-view event, and again, our fans responded enthusiastically. We are now launching WWE Network on PPTV and presenting the entire lineup of WWE pay-per-views and other premium content to continue to better serve WWE fans in China.”

“PPTV is a tremendous partner and has been key in helping us engage with WWE fans in China and further establishing our brand in this important market,” said Michelle Wilson, WWE’s chief revenue and marketing officer. “With this launch, WWE Network is now available in every market, reaching more than 180 countries around the world, delivering all our premium live events and an archive of action-packed, family-friendly entertainment that has thrilled WWE audiences for years.”