Rogers seals WWE rights and distribution deal in Canada

Canadian telecommunications company Rogers Communications has agreed an exclusive 10-year rights and distribution deal, from 2014-15 to 2023-24, with the WWE wrestling organisation.

Under the deal, Rogers will continue to show the WWE’s flagship programming on pay-television channel Sportsnet 360. Programming will also be available through the Sportsnet Now and Rogers Anyplace TV services.

As the exclusive distributor of WWE pay-per-view events in Canada, Rogers will also add the WWE Network pay-television channel to its platform on channel 512.

A preview of the channel will start broadcasting on August 12.

The coverage to be shown by Rogers will include the Raw, SmackDown and Main Event programming.

In other news WWE Network will start streaming outside of the US, five months after its launch, according to Variety.

The channel, which has attracted nearly 700,000 subscriptions so far, will become available in 170 countries worldwide from August 12. The territories will include Australia, Canada, Latin America, Mexico, New Zealand, the Nordic countries, Russia, Singapore and Spain. The channel will launch in the UK in October.