By: JAEQWON SUAREZ / DEPUTY ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
WWE has been making drastic changes to how its programming will distribute content to its viewers. One of the creative changes they seem to be making is moving away from its usual PG content and introducing more graphic and bloody entertainment.
Having to work under the constraints of keeping the show family-friendly for children watching cable, this newfound creative direction will allow the company to appeal to a broader audience without compromising its core values.
This shift in content precedes a massive change for WWE. In January 2025, WWE is moving Monday Night Raw from cable to the biggest streaming service in the world, Netflix.
Netflix ratings range from PG to adult-rated.This allows the program to introduce new elements like the use of the blood and storylines that go past what would be considered PG.
This will be the first time RAW breaks free from the confines of cable TV in its 30 year existence. An article that was written by Thesportster talks about the upcoming deal between WWE and Netflix.
“Netflix…has secured the rights to live stream Raw from January 2025, for a staggering 10-year period with an option to exit after 5 or extend it to 20. The deal, valued at over $5 billion, is a testament to the evolving dynamics of content distribution.”
This change will extend beyond the United States and into Canada, Latin America and Britain. Countries like India, however, will still be able to watch it on cable until the expiration of those deals with Sony.
WWE is mainly relying on the loyalty of its fans with these changes that will take place in just a year. Nick Khan, the current President of WWE, told The Pat McAfee Show that although they won’t mind keeping it on Mondays, moving it to another day wouldn’t affect the ratings as much once they move to Netflix.
“At this moment in time, it remains Monday Night Raw,” Khan started off. “But keep in mind, we got 10-and-a-half months until this deal’s up and running. So we’re looking at what you’re looking at and everyone else is looking at. So you got a lot of Mondays where there’s stiff competition. That said, even against Alabama/Michigan and the Washington/Texas game a few weeks ago, Monday Night Raw did a .6 in the 18-49 demo, which is a massive rating against big competition. If we stay on Mondays, it’ll work. If we move it to a different day, we think it’ll work too.”
That is just one of the changes that Khan is thinking about once the transition over to Netflix begins. Other huge changes would be the removal of ads and a shorter run time.
Viewers with ad-free subscriptions to Netflix will get to see matches with no interruptions. WWE will still keep their original format and have matches planned around having ads in between, however. Viewers with ads won’t miss much, though, as they will only miss inconsequential aspects of the matches.
The three-hour runtime of Monday Night Raw has been a concern for nearly a decade, voiced by several people such as WWE creative head Triple H. The removal of ads would certainly combat that concern and allow for a two hour show instead of three.
Certainly an exciting transition, the WWE Universe can expect to see more WWE content, such as behind the scenes exclusives and documentaries to appear on Netflix once WWE transitions over.
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