3 things to watch for as WWE Raw moves to Netflix

The WWE Monday Night Raw on Netflix era begins on Monday, January 6. WWE has put together a huge card to kick things off, centering around some of the biggest names in the organization. Looking not only at that card, but the future of programming – here are three things to look forward to when WWE shifts to a new platform for the first time in thirty years.

How Long Will WWE Raw Episodes Last?

This is a question that has yet to get a solid answer. Monday Night Raw has been three hours long for decades, and fans have their opinions about why that did or did not work for the show. The show shifted to two hours for the last few months of 2024, giving things a fresh look in several ways. As the show makes the move to Netflix, there isn’t a clear indication of if the show will remain two hours or go back to being three hours. This comes as SmackDown is set to move to three hours starting with the January 3 episode. It will be interesting to see if WWE evaluates out new ideas with programming shows of different lengths on Netflix, giving some a bigger feel than others.

Advertising Opportunities

How will advertising work on Netflix? Customers are able to purchase “ad-free” tiers, so does that mean some customers will get additional content while others are served up commercials within the show? WWE has found ways to make massive amounts of revenue due to its advertising strength, so expect the promotion to rise to the challenge of answering this question, not only early, but making adjustments along the way.

The Cost of Netflix

If anything is a constant in entertainment, it is that streaming prices will continue to rise. What was once the great unbundling of cable, has become the streaming crisis as several platforms continue to increase their prices, making cable look like the great idea it once was. Netflix landing WWE is a huge get for the platform, and the expectation is that millions of users will flock to the service. If that is the case, fans should expect some sort of price increase, because of capitalism. Increasing the bottom line is always the goal and if WWE is a draw like some claim it is, the evidence will be there to influence Netflix leadership to increase its subscription prices.