Millions of Netflix subscribers risk costly penalty for watching WWE SummerSlam

Unless you’re living under a rock, wrestling fans across the world have been ecstatic at the WWE moving onto Netflix due to how much more accessible it makes the show for non-US fans.

Whilst many may have had some serious criticisms of the product since John Cena left the company, it is undeniable that seeing as Netflix is the most popular streamer in the world, the WWE streaming their weekly shows and PLEs on there is a huge win.

Despite this though, millions of subscribers could be risking a seriously costly penalty if they watch this weekend’s SummerSlam event.

SummerSlam, the second biggest event of the year after WrestleMania, will this year be headlined by a rematch on night two between Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns, with night one closing out with a bout between CM Punk and Cody Rhodes.

If you’re not careful though, watching SummerSlam might cost you a lot more than your Netflix subscription fee.

Netflix subscribers in the UK could face a costly penalty for watching SummerSlam

Seth Rollins faces off against Roman Reigns in the night two main event (Georgiana Dallas/WWE via Getty Images)

The warning only applies to WWE fans in the UK, and it all boils down to TV licensing fees.

For years it appeared to be the commonly held belief that, as long as you’re not watching terrestrial TV, you don’t really need a TV license.

This didn’t apply to Netflix for years as you don’t necessarily need a TV license just to watch Gilmore Girls on your telly.

CM Punk and Cody Rhodes face off to close out night one (Melina Pizano/WWE via Getty Images)

TV licensing became a bit more relevant to Netflix subscribers, however, when the streamer started producing live streamed events. Between Jake Paul fights, Francis Ngannou MMA, and Alex Honnold climbing Taipei 101, the streamer has heavily invested into their live infrastructure, which also covers the WWE events.

While watching TV shows and movies on Netflix isn’t covered by licensing fees though these live events are, so you could face a hefty fine.

If you’re caught without a license, you could face a £1,000 fine

Watching live TV without a license is actually a crime, and it can carry a fine of up to £1,000.

This also applies to Netflix live shows, as previously confirmed to LADbible by the BBC. This applies to the streamer’s more than 17 million subscribers in the UK, and applies to both evenings of the two night event.

In the BBC’s guidance however it does state that this does not apply to any on demand programmes, so if you decide you can’t hack staying up to the wee hours of Sunday or Monday morning don’t stress about your license fee.

This year’s SummerSlam pairs off four of the company’s biggest names against each other, with Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins reviving arguably the WWE’s most iconic rivalry of the 2020s.

CM Punk and Cody Rhodes will also face off in a long-awaited match up since the pair both returned to the company, with Randy Orton rumoured to play a role

WWE SummerSlam 2026 will be available to watch on Netflix this weekend, 2 and 3 August.