What’s the story?
In a move that had been rumored for weeks, Court Bauer announced on MLW Radio that the first two seasons, 65 episodes, of Lucha Underground will be available to stream on Netflix beginning February 15. The show is currently in the middle of a break in its third season and is set to resume the season May 31.
More episodes may be added in the future according to reports.
In case you didn’t know...
Lucha Underground is one of the hottest things in professional wrestling today, airing weekly on El Rey Network and elsewhere around the world captivating audiences with a wrestling style that before then was much harder to find on television, if at all.
The show introduced a majority of the wrestling audience to talents like Ricochet (Prince Puma), Willie Mack, and Sexy Star, as well as luchadores such as Pentagon Jr., and Dr. Wagner Jr. Anchored by well-established stars such as Johnny Mundo, Chavo Guerrero, Jr., and Rey Mysterio, and it’s easy to see why the show has been successful since its on-air debut.
Before now, the show was only available on El Rey Network or via online rental/purchase, though they shared a fair amount of full matches online in their entirety.
The heart of the matter
With 49 million Netflix subscribers in the United States, this deal increases the visibility of the brand (El Rey Network is available in 40 million homes in the US) and potentially opens itself to an audience that may not have even been aware of Lucha Underground’s existence.
The deal had long been in the works and Bauer, who had worked with Lucha Underground and Lucha libre promotion AAA in the past was a key proponent of the deal between the company and the video streaming giant.
What's next?
With the third season in the middle of a break until the end of May, it's difficult to imagine any further episodes being added. Especially when considering if no other breaks are taken, the season three finale, known as Ultima Lucha Tres won’ t air until mid-October. That said, expect a huge upswing in popularity for the promotion and many of its stars.
Sportskeeda’s take
This is a great move for Lucha Underground as it has just given itself access to millions of homes and to viewers who haven’t been able to find it or were turned off by the $2-3/episode price tag online.
The addition of the content helps introduce the brand and Lucha libre to an entire new audience while giving its current audience a way to relive some of their favourite moments from the first two seasons of the phenomenon that has produced some of the best wrestling in the world over the past two years.
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