WWE issued the following press release, announcing their new agreement with Māori Television in New Zealand:
AUCKLAND, New Zealand and STAMFORD, Conn., February 15, 2018 – WWE (NYSE: WWE) and Māori Television, New Zealand’s indigenous broadcaster, today announced a new agreement to broadcast WWE’s flagship programs Raw® and SmackDown® on free-to-air TV in English and te reo Māori for the first time in New Zealand.
Beginning February 24, 2018, Māori Television channel (English and te reo Māori) will televise a one-hour version of Raw at 7:30 p.m. on Saturdays and a one-hour version of SmackDown at 7:30 p.m. on Sundays. The Te Reo channel will broadcast a te reo Māori version of Raw on Mondays at 9 p.m.
“We are excited to partner with Māori Television to deliver localized WWE content in New Zealand,” said Michelle Wilson, WWE Co-President. “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 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,” said Māori Television. “All Māori Television WWE content will feature New Zealand’s indigenous language as a component and we have engaged with some of the finest te reo Māori experts in the land to weave reo and tikanga into all platforms of broadcasts.”
Māori Television will also broadcast WWE highlight shows WWE Experience® at 7.30 p.m. and This Week® at 11:10 p.m. on Fridays. Fans can watch all programs on 14-day authenticated VOD catch up through Māori Television’s website, www.maoritelevision.com.
About WWE
WWE, a publicly traded company (NYSE: WWE), is an integrated media organization and recognized leader in global entertainment. The company consists of a portfolio of businesses that create and deliver original content 52 weeks a year to a global audience. WWE is committed to family friendly entertainment on its television programming, pay-per-view, digital media and publishing platforms. WWE programming reaches more than 800 million homes worldwide in 20 languages. WWE Network, the first-ever 24/7 over-the-top premium network that includes all live pay-per-views, scheduled programming and a massive video-on-demand library, is currently available in more than 180 countries. The company is headquartered in Stamford, Conn., with offices in New York, Los Angeles, London, Mexico City, Mumbai, Shanghai, Singapore, Dubai, Munich and Tokyo.Additional information on WWE (NYSE: WWE) can be found at wwe.com and corporate.wwe.com. For information on our global activities, go to http://www.wwe.com/worldwide/.
About Māori Television
Māori Television is New Zealand’s indigenous broadcaster, providing a wide range of local and international programmes for audiences across the country. Our vision is for te reo Māori to be valued, embraced and spoken by all New Zealanders. Our mission is to contribute to Māori success through te reo me ngā tikanga Māori.
