Raw hits Netflix

By Jay’Mi Vazquez

Managing Editor

WWE Monday Night Raw is now being streamed live on Netflix, and it has been quite the experience.  

Before going into 2025, WWE has been plastering its new partnership with Netflix on all social media platforms to gauge enough interest from wrestling fans nationwide to tune into the show. 

On Jan. 6, the first ever Monday Night Raw was livestreamed, peaking at an astounding 5.9 million in global viewership according to known wrestling media outlet, WhatCulture.  

This change from being streamed live on the USA Network to Netflix has had its pros and cons for viewers and for the company itself.  

One of the main advantages would be Netflix’s global reach. Netflix has over 200 million subscribers worldwide, which can be good exposure to the sport of pro wrestling. WWE clearly attempted to captivate viewers by having major headlining names on the very first show such as Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, John Cena, The Undertaker and many more. 

Avid fans of the program have been amazed by the production of these shows. Netflix and WWE have clearly invested a lot of money into the actual production of the show, having different camera angles and a drone capturing footage of the in-ring action.  

Paul Levesque, also known as Triple H, has been doing amazing things for the storytelling aspect of the characters within the WWE Universe recently, and these Netflix shows are proving that. 

The match cards on these first few shows have been amazing, showcasing various talent such as the long-awaited debut of legendary Mexican wrestler, Penta. 

Even with these advantages of the show, there have also been several drawbacks since the start of this new era of professional wrestling. 

On the first streamed Monday Night Raw, Hulk Hogan was one of the surprise guests that came out to promote his Real American Beer brand. Hogan was booed loudly during his terrible unscripted promo. The booing partially had to do with his previous racist remarks. 

Aspects like this can turn a lot of viewers away from the program, as they are highlighting someone that does not align with the core values of the majority of wrestling fans.  

Fans are also concerned that the first show of the year will be the best they have to offer. They pulled out all the stops, having a pretty good Netflix debut.  

But this leaves the question of whether they will be able to continue the same level of shows each week. The reality is that the show may get very stale quickly, as having special guests and action-packed match ups will likely fade out. 

With all these advantages and disadvantages, Monday Night Raw being streamed on Netflix represents an exciting possibility for the future of professional wrestling.  

With the ever-changing landscape of entertainment and sports media, this partnership can redefine how WWE engages with its audience and elevate wrestling to new heights if it continues to be presented to fans correctly.