Vladimir Putin: WWE ends TV deal & shuts down WWE Network in Russia after Ukraine invasion

WWE has shut down all media operations in Russia, the company has announced.

In a press release today, WWE announced that it had terminated its broadcast partnership in Russia effectively immediately.

The company also said that the WWE Network had been shut down in Russia, issuing the following press release today:

WWE TERMINATES BROADCAST PARTNERSHIP AND SHUTS DOWN WWE NETWORK IN RUSSIA

STAMFORD, Conn., March 3, 2022 – WWE released the following statement today:

“WWE has terminated its partnership with Russian broadcaster Match and shut down WWE Network in Russia effective immediately.

The move eliminates access in Russia to any WWE programming, including the company’s weekly Raw, SmackDown and NXT shows, its on-demand library, and all of its premium live events, including WrestleMania 38.”

This means that fans of WWE in Russia will no longer be able to access any of WWE’s content, whether it be weekly TV, Premium Live Events, and on-demand footage.

While WWE didn’t explicitly say why they cancelled the deals, the decision comes amidst Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

Stay tuned to GiveMeSport for any potential updates on the matter as they become avaliable.