WWE and Māori Television have announced a new agreement to broadcast WWE’s flagship shows, Raw and SmackDown, free-to-air in English and te reo Māori.
The one-hour versions of Raw and SmackDown will be complemented by This Week in WWE and The WWE Experience. A te reo Māori version of WWE Raw will also be broadcast.
“We are excited to partner with Māori Television to deliver localized WWE content in New Zealand,” WWE co-president Michelle Wilson said. “This new agreement to televise Raw and SmackDown on free-to-air TV in both English and te reo Māori for the first time allows us to deliver our unique blend of action-packed, family friendly entertainment to our passionate fans in the region.”
Māori Television Head of Content Mike Rehu added: “Māori Television is thrilled to embark on this new relationship with WWE, a leading global entertainment company, as we set to further engage new audiences with te reo Māori.”
WWE programming will begin airing on Māori Television from Saturday, February 24.
- WWE Raw (Saturdays at 7.30pm from February 24)
- WWE SmackDown (Sundays at 7.30pm from February 25)
- WWE Raw (Te Reo) (Mondays at 9pm from February 26)
- This Week in WWE (Fridays at 7.30pm from March 2)
- The WWE Experience (Fridays at 11.10pm from March 2)
All WWE programs will also be available on “14-day authenticated VOD catch-up” via the Māori Television website, www.maoritelevision.com.
This marks the first time WWE programming has been available on free-to-air TV in New Zealand since January 2002.
WWE Raw and SmackDown Live continue to air live in full on Sky 5.
BREAKING NEWS: @WWE is coming to @maoritv from Saturday 24 February 2018! One hour versions of #RAW and #SDLive will air in English and te reo Māori! Plus, WWE Experience and This Week join the line up! More details to follow! #WWENZ pic.twitter.com/BydbI9iIIP
— WWE New Zealand (@WWENZ) February 15, 2018
