For the first time in over 30 years, WWE’s popular wrestling program Monday Night Raw did not air on linear television in the United States
That’s because it was released exclusively on Netflix — RawIt is first show following a major deal reached in 2024 between the wrestling franchise and the streaming giant.
One expert sees the partnership as an opportunity for both parties that will likely become a ‘defining era’ for the sport, with more cutting-edge wrestling events and increased global audiences for Netflix and WWE, amid cultural and political change underway in North America.
The event features captions, boos and a blunt
Last night’s show, which happened to be the 1,650th episode of Monday night raw, kicked off a 10-year partnership between WWE and Netflix. The deal, reached last January, is worth around US$5 billion, with the option for Netflix to exit after five years or extend it for another 10 years.
Toronto-based Brett Murray, who has been a casual WWE fan since the early 2000s, called last night’s event a “revitalization” of his interest in the sport.
The event featured appearances from wrestling legends like John Cena, The Rock, Hulk Hogan and a lineup of sports stalwarts including CM Punk and Rhea Ripley.
“They just threw everything at the wall to see what still worked,” Murray said.
Hogan, a strong supporter of US President-elect Donald Trump, has faced a number of controversies during his career, including criticism over his alleged role in preventing the formation of a WWE union in the 1980s, then the use of a racist insult.
Both Hogan and his Real American Beer brand were heavily featured at the event. WWE recently announced a multi-year deal with the retired wrestler, which fans booed loudly during the broadcast.
Rapper Travis Scott also contributed to the event’s controversy, appearing to smoke a blunt during wrestler Jey Uso’s entrance on the show.
The event also featured some vulgarity from the wrestlers and during fan chants.
Murray believes the show might have looser content restrictions with Netflix than if it aired on network television.
Brandon Kirkwood, a wrestling fan for over 20 years, also noticed the event’s edgier vibe.
Kirkwood said he enjoyed the “bickering and tension” of the event. He said it reminded him of WWE’s Attitude Era, which ran from the late ’90s to the early 2000s and was known for its violence, profanity and sexual content.
WWE Raw was regularly averaging more than three million viewers in the United States during this period, according to Wrestlenomics data.
The return to that era was likely intentional, according to Michael Naraine, an associate professor of sport management at Brock University in St. Catharines, Ont.
Fighting against a “reflection of society” in a context of cultural change
“There is a business prerogative in wanting to get WWE back to where it was most profitable under the Attitude Era,” Naraine said.
That’s because the qualities of that era — along with vulgar, brash content — are also gaining ground in mainstream culture, he says.
He cited Trump’s second victory in the US election as evidence. The new American president was convicted of sexual abuse from magazine editor E. Jean Carroll in 2023, and has been accused on several occasions of having sexist comments about women. Yet he won not only the Electoral College vote, but also the popular vote – he is only the second Republican to win the latter since 1988.
He said last night’s wrestling event reflects a cultural shift in North America towards “more assertive” masculinity – and could be an attempt to attract an international audience, for whom such masculinity has always been popular .
A numbers game
Aside from the possible nature of future events, Naraine believes the Netflix-WWE partnership will increase the sport’s global audience, as well as Netflix’s subscriber base.
Raw averaged more than 1.6 million viewers last year, according to Wrestlenomics data. Naraine believes that figure could rise into the millions over the course of a now global partnership.
Netflix, which currently has 282 million subscribers in over 190 countries, is now the exclusive home of Raw in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Latin America, with more countries to be added over time. The streaming platform will also broadcast all WWE shows abroad, including Smack down, NXT, and premium live events like FightMania, SummerSlam And Royal Rumble.
This deal is just one example of Netflix’s push into the world of live sporting events. The right streamer signed an agreement FIFA has secured U.S. broadcast rights to the Women’s World Cup in 2027 and 2031. It has also recently hosted NFL games and a major boxing match between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson.
And more viewers around the world likely mean more subscribers for Netflix and revenue growth for both companies, according to Naraine.
“Having agreements with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia…Japan, India, those are huge markets for professional wrestling. So just having availability on Netflix means cultivating more fans.”