Netflix Premiere of WWE MONDAY NIGHT RAW Earns High Viewer Numbers
By Movieguide® Contributor
The premiere of Netflix’s WWE MONDAY NIGHT RAW pulled in a significant audience in the US.
“Ratings figures from VideoAmp show RAW averaging 2.6 million households for its first outing on Netflix, which struck a $5 billion rights deal for the WWE‘s flagship weekly show a year ago,” The Hollywood Reporter wrote. “That’s more than double the household average that the three-hour show drew on USA Network in 2024, when it typically drew about 1.2 million households.”
Worldwide, RAW brought in 4.9 million viewers across countries like Canada, the UK and Australia.
RAW is part of Netflix’s ongoing expansion into the world of live sports streaming, which includes its recent NFL Christmas Day broadcast.
READ MORE: NETFLIX CELEBRATES NFL CHRISTMAS BROADCAST SUCCESS — AND PLANS MORE SPORTS STREAMS
The kick-off of WWE RAW on Netflix also saw wrestling star John Cena kick off his farewell tour, which will culminate in 2025’s Royal Rumble.
“I think the biggest question is, is this actually real? Yes, 100%,” he said during the premiere’s post-show. “After December, my last match, I’m done. You will see me in an ambassador role in the WWE, but I will not wear [my gear]. I will be in a suit. You’ll see the other facets of John Cena because we have so many great, current, and young superstars on the way up. The business has been great to me, and it is time to move on. So that is the one certainty. I just want to set realistic expectations for everyone. I will give you everything I’ve got, I always have. I just don’t know what that looks like.”
Cena added, “I love the WWE. I know I’m going to retire, but they will have to fire me to get me to stop being a part of this place.”
READ MORE: JOHN CENA ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT FROM PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING
So, what’s next for WWE RAW? WWE’s Director of Character Development, Rob Fee, promised the emotion and action will only get bigger as the season goes on.
“Over the next several weeks, months, and years, you’re going to see stories from the beginning — how they start building, how these relationships play out, how superstars interact, and you’ll get invested in these stories,” he told Tudum. “The nuance is captivating [and] there’s so much attention to detail. If you enjoyed tonight, you’re in for a treat, because it’s only going to get more addicting from here.”