WWE Monday Night RAW is coming back to Madison Square Garden for the first time in three years—and Netflix will be there live.
The streaming giant officially became the new exclusive home of RAW, WWE’s flagship weekly program, beginning this year. And according to Netflix, it has sold out its ad inventory for WWE RAW title sponsorships throughout the next few quarters.
For its March 10 event, which airs at 7:30 p.m. ET, Netflix is partnering with several brands, including Snickers, Cricket Wireless, Intuit TurboTax, Wingstop, MinuteMaid, and more. The livestream will feature in-program advertising breaks in which the partner brands will run their spots.
According to the company, WWE RAW is the first weekly live title to have advertising breaks to run throughout. The first in-program ad break title was for the company’s NFL Christmas programming.
In addition, as part of the event, Netflix is teaming up with TurboTax for its first global custom campaign created for a brand partner.
TurboTax will extend its “Now This is Taxes” brand campaign by taking over Madison Square Garden with multiple custom elements, including promotional graphics; a 60-second spot that will air on ad-supported plans and TurboTax social channels; title graphics throughout the show; and several in-arena placements. There will also be separate videos that will air on TurboTax’s accounts.
The company’s campaign features WWE superstars Rhea Ripley, Rey Mysterio, and Bron Breakker as they navigate the frustrating, time-consuming, and sometimes disappointing process of filing taxes.
This custom ad campaign first ran on Feb. 17 during WWE RAW and will run through April 15 to coincide with Tax Day in the United States.
“RAW’s debut on Netflix has given brands a unique way to get in the ring and connect with WWE’s passionate fanbase,” Magno Herran, vp of brand marketing and partnerships, Netflix, told ADWEEK in a statement. “Partnering with TurboTax allowed us to tap into our in-house creative team and craft a fun, engaging campaign that felt authentic to both brands. By leveraging real insights from WWE Superstars, we bridged the unexpected worlds of wrestling and taxes in a way that was strategic, entertaining, and true to the fandom.”
Netflix is no stranger to creating engaging marketing campaigns for its shows, having partnered with several brands and creating custom co-marketing campaigns for programs such as Squid Game, Emily in Paris, Stranger Things, and The Witcher.
Trevor Kelly, vp of marketing of Intuit’s Consumer Group, said to connect with Gen Z, brands must meet them where they are, especially on streaming services like Netflix.
“Netflix is a critical partner for us, and they created a powerful live opportunity with highly engaged content that delivers on a weekly basis throughout tax season,” Kelly said. “We were incredibly fortunate to work with these WWE Superstars and the team at Netflix.”
