The first episode of WWE‘s “Monday Night Raw” to stream live on Netflix pulled in 4.9 million views globally.
That is according to Live+1 data provided by Netflix, with a view defined as total hours viewed for the program divided by its runtime. The 4.9 million views came from countries like the U.S., U.K., Canada, and Latin America, but did not include 92 countries/territories where Netflix doesn’t yet distribute WWE, including France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, the Philippines and South Korea.
The Netflix debut of “Raw” was also viewed by 2.6 million households in the U.S. according to VideoAmp, compared to the 1.2 million households “Raw” was averaging in 2024.
It is difficult to make a direct comparison between the Netflix and USA Network viewership for “Raw,” as linear channels measure their viewership differently than Netflix does. For the sake of some comparison, however, the final episode of “Raw” on USA Network averaged approximately 1.596 million viewers across its two-hour runtime, according to Nielsen Live + Same Day data. From the beginning of October through the end of December, “Raw” averaged approximately 1.65 million viewers per week on USA Network.
During the first “Raw” on Netflix, Roman Reigns defeated his cousin Solo Sikoa in a Tribal Combat match for the sacred ula fala and the title of Tribal Chief. Later, Rhea Ripley defeated Liv Morgan to regain the women’s world championship title, Jey Uso defeated Drew McIntyre, and CM Punk won a brutal main event match against Seth Rollins.
The night also saw John Cena kick off his 2025 retirement tour, while Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson opened the show and later appeared alongside Reigns. WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan made an appearance toward the end of the show, but was met with a barrage of boos from the crowd.
This is the latest in push by Netflix into live streaming. Previously, the streamer aired a boxing match between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul that drew an estimated average minute audience (AMA) of 108 million live viewers globally. The event peaked at 65 million concurrent streams, with 38 million concurrent streams in the US. Over Christmas, the NFL matchup between the Baltimore Ravens and the Houston Texans averaged 24.3 million viewers on Netflix, while the earlier Chiefs-Steelers bout brought in 24.1 million viewers.
source: variety.com
January 9, 2025
WWE’s ‘Monday Night Raw’ Netflix Debut Draws 4.9 Million Views
January 7, 2025
Triple H Responds To Criticism Of WWE Video
During the post-show press conference for WWE RAW on Netflix, Triple H discussed creating the RAW cold open video and their purpose behind it.
The three-minute cold open video featured the use of several “insider” terms, such as “heel,” “face,” “shoot” and “work,” and the WWE CCO explained how the goal was to provide something for everyone while also presenting WWE to new audiences.
You can check out some highlights from the media scrum below:
On their goal with the opening video: “I think when we first started talking about Netflix and this opportunity tonight. And you look at Netflix’s audience, it’s everybody. And it’s one of the things I think Netflix does so well, they have something there that appeals to everybody. They have something for young people, they have something for older folks like different products, different things, documentaries — they have everything under the sun on Netflix and there’s something for everybody. So when you have the opportunity to appeal to those people, you want to give them a little of everything. And we felt like it was important for us to sort of pay homage to the past, talk about what this business is. Like if you’ve never watched this, if you grew up and you never saw it, what is it?”
On criticism of the use of insider terms: “That was the intent, to capture the emotion — and let people know, ‘We’re not hiding what we do.’ You know, I saw a lot of chatter today from people saying like, ‘Oh my God, they said heel and face and shoot and work and one promo.’ Like, we’re not hiding what we do. That’s what we do. And to be honest, I think most of the world understands those terms and sort of now, they’ve almost transcended our business. I see people talking about that in other [venues], ‘He’s a heel, this guy.’ It’s transcended our business. It’s what it is, people know what we are. We talk about it, we’re not insulting anybody’s intelligence.
“But we’re an art form. Absolutely an art form that captures people’s emotions. It’s not — we don’t take ourselves as seriously as most other people take us. So it was all part of trying to capture that and say, ‘If you’ve watched, watch this and hopefully we honor what you love. If you’ve never watched this, watch this, we’ll explain to you what we are.’ That was the attempt.”
Hulk Hogan Gets Booed During WWE’s Netflix Debut
Although WWE‘s Netflix debut was a hit, not everyone was met with a warm welcome.
During Monday Night Raw, Hulk Hogan made a surprise appearance to push his beer brand’s partnership with WWE, but his quick speech in front of an American flag largely attracted boos from the audience at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles.
As the camera panned across the audience, thumbs could be seen pointed down as the booing intensified throughout his product plug.
“Well you know, brother, in the wrestling business, when you’re getting ready to draw some big money, you got to shoot an angle, put some hot spice on the feud,” he said on Fox News. “And when I had Trump in the back at the Garden, I said, ‘You know something? This Robert Kennedy Jr., he’s onto something with nutrition.’ But if you tag team us up as the mega powers, you know – the MAGA-powers, RFK Jr. and Hulk Hogan – he can get them eating the right food and I can get all of our kids in shape, brother.”
In addition to a star-studded audience, this week’s Monday Night Raw also featured appearances from Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson and John Cena.
source: deadline.com
December 26, 2024
Netflix Announces Several New WWE Shows Debuting On Their Platform On January 1
In addition to WWE Raw airing every Monday night on the platform, Netflix will be hosting a number of additional digital and other original WWE shows fans have seen, and some new ones. This week, Netflix announced the following list of WWE programming that will be debuting on their platform starting on January 1, 2025: WWE Top 10 “Monday Night Raw hosts some of the biggest and best matches in WWE history, featuring Superstars John Cena, Triple H, Becky Lynch and more.” WWE RAW Classics “Big E hosts this collection of most-see Raw matches and moments, featuring WWE Superstars and Legends including CM Punk, Becky Lynch and Triple H.” WWE Road to WrestleMania “The Road to WrestleMania goes through Raw, where WWE’s top Superstars raise the stakes in must-see matches and thrilling moments.” WWE Superstar Profiles “WWE Superstars step inside the squared circle in pursuit of championships and glory in front of the WWE Universe.” WWE Legends Profiles “Legendary Superstars of WWE make history with unforgettable matches and moments inside the squared circle.” As noted, WWE Raw debuts on Netflix starting on January 6, 2025 from the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, CA.
December 4, 2024
Triple H Dubs Current WWE Era The Netflix Era, Says It's Bigger Than Attitude Era
WWE has been enjoying a new wave of popularity. The sports-entertainment juggernaut could gain more fans when the company makes the move to Netflix in 2025. "WWE Raw" will debut on the service on January 6, with the live crowd in the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California also getting the chance to see recording artist Travis Scott appear live. During a recent press event to promote the company's move to Netflix, WWE's Chief Content Officer Triple H believes that this new era the company is entering will surpass the popularity of the famed Attitude Era.
"I think the moment that we're going through right now, I was in the Attitude Era at the peak of it as you were. We didn't realize what it was in the moment. Having seen that, I see this, and I see it way bigger bigger. I see this as this different moment of time in the business, and it being something different." Triple H then turned to Michael Cole, who had mentioned that WWE was currently in 'The Triple H Era,' but The Game respectfully disagreed. "You mentioned it being the Triple H Era. I don't think it's that. I think at the end of it, it's going to be called the Netflix Era because that's where the big change is."
It isn't just Triple H who can feel it, as former WWE World Heavyweight Champion Damian Priest mentioned after the conclusion of WrestleMania 40 that everyone in WWE can sense that a new era is on the horizon, and its one where they can do things that the stars of the Attitude Era could only dream of.
Whatever the name of the new era, it has not been lost on Triple H, how important this move is to the company, and the wrestling business as a whole.
"It's mind-boggling to me, the moment of us hitting Netflix," Triple H said. "I don't think people truly understand what that means outside of the US when you have that moment where as a WWE fan, and everything has always been either you have to go find it or where is this programming, when is that programming? Where is the PLE going to be? Now it's this one-stop shop, where I think people are talking about it like 'wow, it's going to be great when Netflix gets [WWE].' I don't think they fully get that like the rest of the world 'we're getting everything,' on that date, all at once. Like I can watch anything at any given time. It's a game-changer."
The United States won't be getting every piece of WWE content right away due to contracts with other networks, meaning that in 2025, "Raw" will be the only show to broadcast live on Netflix. A number of other countries, including Canada and all of the United Kingdom, will get every WWE weekly show live on their service, as well as the monthly Premium Live Events and a select number of past events that have historical significance.
credit: Wrestling Inc.
November 22, 2024
The WWE Network Is Officially Shutting Down Ahead Of Netflix Move
The WWE Network has long been the home of WWE's library in international markets.
Here in the States, WWE's streaming channel had a run on its own before getting integrated into Peacock. The library of content includes WCW, ECW, and NWA content, most of WWE's PLEs, replays of weekly shows, and tons of original content. It's pretty amazing.
But, that all ends on January 1, when WWE Raw and WWE's extensive library of content move to Netflix. The following press release was sent to WWE Network's international users:
source: si.com
November 20, 2024
Ari Emanuel Praises Triple H & Dana White’s Work With WWE & UFC, Talks Netflix/WWE Deal
Ari Emanuel is very happy with how Triple H and Dana White are doing with WWE and the UFC, respectively. Emanuel is the CEO of TKO, the parent company of both WWE and UFC, and he recently spoke on Bloomberg about the success of both companies, WWE’s deal with Netflix and more. You can see highlights below (courtesy of Wrestling Inc):
On the performance of the two companies: “I don’t think it’s Fight Club. I remember watching WWE — WWF, actually — when I was young. Paul [Levesque] has done an amazing job with the WWE, with ‘Raw,’ ‘SmackDown,’ PLEs, ‘NXT.’ And UFC is a sport that Dana [White] created over 30 years ago. Didn’t exist. [It was] His vision. You don’t have to explain the rules of the UFC to anybody in the world.”
On Triple H taking over WWE from Vince McMahon: “When you have guys that are visionaries, take whatever comes through on the cases with Vince McMahon who is no longer with the company, and now Paul, Triple H, is running that. They understand, kind of, the heartbeat. The skills I’ve maybe learned in the talent agency side have helped, but now we’re partners. So, now, that’s how I look at it. You just have to let the talent — and those guys are talent — do what they do and support them with all that they need.”
On WWE’s deal with Netflix: “You can see that Netflix wants to be in the live sports business. I think they [WWE] will perform very well for them. There’s a huge chunk of the audience that are WWE fans that are not right now, based on our research, Netflix subscribers. If they capture a portion of those, it’s a huge win for them and a huge win for us.”
On the potential of UFC moving to Netflix: “Listen, ESPN has been an incredible partner. First quarter we’ll see, that’s where we can start. We would love to be back in ESPN. They have been incredible to us.”
October 18, 2024
Nick Khan Announces New WWE-Netflix Docuseries
Following a monumental shift from airing on network television to broadcasting on a streaming platform like Netflix for the next ten years, it's been revealed by WWE President Nick Khan that "WWE Raw" won't be the only new WWE programming one will see on Netflix beginning January 6, 2025. According to "Bloomberg," the company plans to release a behind-the-scenes docuseries as part of its contractual deal with the world's leading streamer. As of this report, no additional details were mentioned on what the docuseries will focus on, or how soon it will be released in the new year.
In the past, WWE has produced both reality and behind-the-scenes shows like "WWE 24," which spotlighted close profiles of WWE stars' lives in and out of the ring. Additionally, they have tapped into similar formats by lifting the veil behind WWE's most significant yearly premium live events, including "WrestleMania XL: Behind the Curtain" in July, which showcased how Cody Rhodes' rematch with Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Championship originated for this year's WrestleMania 40. Regarding "WWE 24," the most recent star it profiled was former WWE World Heavyweight Champion Damian Priest in August.
Recently, former WWE Chairman Vince McMahon's "Mr. McMahon" docuseries debuted on Netflix. The six-part miniseries gained widespread traction, even trending on the platform after it was uploaded. Earlier this year, WWE and Netflix signed a $5 billion, 10-year deal, making the promotion the first to broadcast its weekly flagship show on a streaming platform. Reports have indicated that despite moving to Netflix, "Raw" will return to three hours every Monday, with no plans to go commercial-free. Meanwhile, WWE's other contractual agreements include moving "WWE SmackDown" back to USA from FOX last month, and "WWE NXT" to The CW as of three weeks ago.
September 10, 2024
Backstage Update On WWE Raw Shift To Two-Hour Format
Some big news emerged from last night's episode of "WWE Raw," as commentator Joe Tessitore revealed that, starting October, "Raw" would be shifting to a two hour format for the remainder of 2024. The move would see the red brand leave behind it's three hour format for the first time since 2012, and had fans wondering if this change would just be through the end of the year, or would continue when "Raw" began airing on Netflix in January 2025.
At least right now, the answer appears to be the latter. Commenting on the programming shift on this morning's "Wrestling Observer Radio," Dave Meltzer revealed that "Raw" would revert back to three hours upon their move to Netflix. Furthermore, the shift from three hours to two was a call made by the USA Network, not by WWE, indicating the promotion was content to remain at three hours for the remainder of their USA tenure.
Further details were also provided regarding WWE's decision to remain with USA Network through the end of the year, something that wasn't always a given due to WWE's original deal with the network expiring in September. Meltzer noted that WWE had a choice on how to fill the gap between October and the start of the Netflix deal, and that the choices came down to USA and the Peacock streaming service, which currently houses WWE's video library. Ultimately, Peacock's unwillingness to pay extra led to WWE's short-term deal to remain with USA. As for the next three weeks, "Raw" will continue to air in its usual three hour block.
January 23, 2024
Netflix to Become New Home of WWE Raw Beginning 2025
WWE, part of TKO Group Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: TKO), and Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX) today announced a long-term partnership that will bring WWE’s flagship weekly program – Raw – to the world’s leading entertainment service. This marks a major programming shift as Raw leaves linear television for the first time since its inception 31 years ago.
Beginning in January 2025, Netflix will be the exclusive new home of Raw in the U.S., Canada, U.K. and Latin America, among other territories, with additional countries and regions to be added over time. Likewise, as part of the agreement, Netflix will also become the home for all WWE shows and specials outside the U.S. as available, inclusive of Raw and WWE’s other weekly shows – SmackDown and NXT – as well as the company’s Premium Live Events, including WrestleMania, SummerSlam and Royal Rumble. WWE’s award-winning documentaries, original series and forthcoming projects will also be available on Netflix internationally beginning in 2025.
“This deal is transformative,” said Mark Shapiro, TKO President and COO. “It marries the can’t-miss WWE product with Netflix’s extraordinary global reach and locks in significant and predictable economics for many years. Our partnership fundamentally alters and strengthens the media landscape, dramatically expands the reach of WWE, and brings weekly live appointment viewing to Netflix.”
“We are excited to have WWE Raw, with its huge and passionate multigenerational fan base, on Netflix,” said Netflix Chief Content Officer, Bela Bajaria. “By combining our reach, recommendations, and fandom with WWE, we’ll be able to deliver more joy and value for their audiences and our members. Raw is the best of sports entertainment, blending great characters and storytelling with live action 52 weeks a year and we’re thrilled to be in this long-term partnership with WWE.”
“In its relatively short history, Netflix has engineered a phenomenal track record for storytelling,” said Nick Khan, WWE President. “We believe Netflix, as one of the world’s leading entertainment brands, is the ideal long-term home for Raw’s live, loyal, and ever-growing fan base.”
With 1,600 episodes to date, Raw is the most iconic show in sports entertainment. Since its debut in 1993, Raw has delivered action, compelling drama and unmatched athleticism – 52 weeks a year. Blending the best of scripted content with unpredictable live entertainment, the three-hour show has helped launch the careers of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, Triple H, John Cena, Roman Reigns, Bianca Belair and Charlotte Flair.
The show is currently the No. 1 show on USA Network, where it brings in 17.5 million unique viewers over the course of the year. One of television’s best performing shows in the 18-49 advertising demographic, Raw trends on X 52 weeks a year while each new episode is airing. On social media, WWE has more than one billion followers across its platforms.
