Netflix Outage Disrupts WWE SmackDown Tapings in Saudi Arabia

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia — A major outage affected WWE‘s SmackDown tapings on June 27, causing a 30-minute blackout for international viewers on Netflix. The incident occurred just ten minutes into the live show.

As Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes performed a promo segment, power was lost at the Kingdom Arena, bringing the entire production to a halt. Microphones and screens in the venue stopped working, leaving WWE wrestlers and fans in the dark.

WWE quickly addressed the issue on social media, tweeting, “To our international audiences watching #SmackDown on Netflix: We apologize for any technical difficulties and should be back up and running shortly.” However, the outage was not a Netflix problem, but rather a power failure at the venue.

According to reports from PWInsider.com, WWE lost all control of production due to the power outage. An insider stated, “There was a power loss in Riyadh that affected WWE’s entire production, including the control room and the gorilla position.”

As the blackout continued, Orton engaged with the live crowd to pass the time. About 25 minutes into the outage, Rhodes returned to the ring, entertaining fans until the screens came back online. During this period, Carmelo Hayes unexpectedly confronted Rhodes, resulting in a brief match in front of the audience.

Once power was restored, WWE resumed the show, and announcers Michael Cole and Wade Barrett promptly apologized to international viewers for the interruption. The broadcast eventually resumed with a match featuring Guilia and Zelina Vega for the Women’s United States Championship.

This episode of SmackDown was significant as it was the first to air live from Saudi Arabia. Wrestling fans can look forward to more action as WWE hosts its Night of Champions event in Riyadh the following day, featuring high-profile matches including John Cena versus CM Punk for the Undisputed WWE Championship.