What is the real reason behind WWE SmackDown's Netflix blackout in Saudi Arabia?
As WWE hosted the June 27 edition of SmackDown in Saudi Arabia, the show was a hit, however, it went through some abrupt technical issues related to blackout for the viewers who were watching the show on Netflix.
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Reports suggest that WWE's latest international broadcast didn't just glitch, but the entire production lost power.
However, the real explanation behind the Netflix "blackout" during June 27th's WWE SmackDown in Riyadh has nothing to do with Netflix at all, but everything to do with the venue, and rather it was an issue of power outage at the Riyadh Kingdom's arena stadium. Let's now find out the real reason behind the blackout episode.
The real reason explained about WWE SmackDown's Netflix blackout in Saudi Arabia
The June 27th edition of
, airing live from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, was supposed to be another global moment for WWE's Netflix deal. Instead, fans watching internationally were hit with a brutal 30-minute outage, and now the real reason is out.
According to PWInsider.com, the issue had nothing to do with Netflix. The entire venue lost power, bringing WWE's production to a standstill. They have also issued a statement related to it, which reads, 'PWInsider.com can confirm that there was a power loss in Riyadh that affected WWE's entire production, including the control room and the gorilla position.'
Further, PWInsider stated, 'WWE lost all power, and with that went any ability to control the different facets of the show. They are working to get everything back online, but again, it was not a Netflix issue, it was an issue originating at the actual venue.'
Even Fightful Select also provided an update on what went on in the arena while the malfunction continued for the fans. It was clarified that a power disruption in Riyadh affected WWE's entire production, including the control room and the gorilla position, and it was not an issue from Netflix's side.
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Several reports suggest that despite the 'blackout' episode during the promotions,
stars continued to keep the audience entertained. Stars like
and later Cody Rhodes kept the live audience engaged. It was noted that Orton mingled with fans while his entrance music played, and about 25 minutes in, Rhodes joined to entertain the crowd until the screens returned.
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Once the power was restored, production resumed, and commentators Michael Cole and Wade Barrett wasted no time apologizing to international Netflix viewers. As the feed resumed, fans witnessed a thrilling match between Guilia and Zelina Vega in the Women's United States Championship segment.
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