US EditionWWE Sends Official Statement After Netflix Crashes During SmackDown in Saudi Arabia
RIYADH PROVINCE, SAUDI ARABIA, JUN 27 – A power outage at Kingdom Arena caused a 30-minute international Netflix stream disruption during WWE SmackDown, affecting the live broadcast and arena production, WWE confirmed.
- WWE's Friday Night SmackDown on June 27, 2025, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, experienced a broadcast outage shortly after starting.
- The outage stemmed from a power failure at the venue that disrupted WWE's entire production and streaming setup, not Netflix's platform.
- WWE halted in-ring action during the outage, which lasted about 25 to 30 minutes before the show resumed with Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes addressing the King of the Ring final.
- WWE addressed international fans on social media, expressing regret for the interruption and assuring that the broadcast has since resumed.
- The sequence ensured the SmackDown episode would air fully for international audiences, and US viewers were unaffected as the show remained normal on USA Network.
15 Articles
15 Articles
WWE's Saudi Arabia broadcast hit power outage
While tape delays have often worked very poorly for live sports, wrestling has found more success with that approach. And a U.S. tape delay of a special episode of WWE Smackdown Friday may have worked out quite well for the promotion and Netflix. WWE and the streamer hit major technical issues at their live event in Saudi Arabia Friday (ahead of Saturday’s Night of Champions PPV). That event was being broadcast live in many international markets…
Here's Why WWE SmackDown Went Off The Air
WWE SmackDown went through some technical difficulties this afternoon as the show aired live on Netflix Friday afternoon from Saudi Arabia. Those who watched the international stream of WWE SmackDown this afternoon on Netflix were interrupted by a 30-minute stretch where the show went off the air very early into a segment between Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton. So what caused this issue to take place? According to Mike Johnson of PWInsider, there w…
The Reason Behind WWE SmackDown's Netflix Blackout In Saudi Arabia Revealed
WWE’s June 27th SmackDown broadcast from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia experienced a 30-minute power blackout, affecting viewers internationally. Pwinsider is reporting that the issue was caused by the entire venue (Kingdom Arena) losing power, which is unrelated to Netflix. The report states, “There was a power loss in Riyadh that affected WWE’s entire production including the control room and the gorilla position. WWE lost all power and with that went …
Power Outage In Riyadh Disrupts WWE SmackDown Broadcast On Netflix
The June 27th edition of WWE SmackDown, broadcast live from the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, experienced a major disruption during the Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton segment, as Netflix’s international feed cut out for nearly 30 minutes. Viewers watching via Netflix were met with a “Pardon the delay” message during the outage, which […]
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 100% of the sources are Center
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
