In what will be one of the biggest moments in professional wrestling history, January 2025 will see the WWE move Monday Night Raw to Netflix As part of that is a full migration to the world’s biggest streaming service. The company’s flagship show will go completely global as of January 6 and looks to usher in an entirely new era. The media partnership will be integral to WWE as they do their best to maximize their global reputation while the company continues to distance itself from previous owner Vince McMahon, whose recent trials were a (small) subject of Netflix’s latest WWE documentary, Mr. .
The move to Netflix is ​​an exciting prospect for fans, as WWE has a creative center that hasn’t been seen in decades. Through long-running stories such as The Bloodline and CM Punk’s lifelong quest to headline WrestleMania, a women’s division boosted by the X-Factor from the likes of Bianca Belair and Rhea Ripley, to pure wrestlers like Gunther and Sami Zayn filling the top of the card, This current era can legitimately claim to be the best in WWE history On all fronts. Add in new training facilities and programs for new talent that couldn’t be further from Dark Side Of The Ring and Bill DeMott, and things even start to feel good holistically.
The company is still locked into other deals with Peacock and USA Network in America for PLEs and SmackDown respectively, with the blue brand having only just started a five-year domestic deal through October 2024, with the likes of WrestleMania and Money In The Bank still to come. On Peacock until 2026. That is looking into the future. here and now, WWE is about to begin the most significant period in its history. It all starts on January 6 on Netflix worldwide. These are just some of the things that can be expected.
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A huge night
Expect WWE to show the world how great it is in 2025
Unlike the worst aspects of being a fan during the Vince McMahon era, The WWE wants to make fans feel great about the product they are investing their time and money into. It’s the first time most of Netflix’s 270 million household subscriber base will be introduced to the Yeet movement, Rhea Bloody Ripley stomping her way into your living room, the joy of the word “Yes!”, and John Cena starting his latest Dance story arc. A PLE-worthy card on opening night is guaranteed.
The Paul Levesque era of WWE had a much better understanding of the zeitgeist and what people were saying about their product. Among those who don’t watch wrestling every week, there is a “it will never be as good as it was in the Attitude Era” belief that simply isn’t true, be it the quality of matches, the storylines, the presentation. There is a debate to be had about the respective rasters, however Most aspects of WWE are much better today than they were in the heyday.
“Now, we’re up against ourselves. We’re up against the Attitude Era. The best of WWE’s absolute best. That’s what we’re working against.” – Paul Levesque on The Pat McAfee Show
in truth, The Royal Rumble is perhaps the biggest night in WWE history Because it’s the start of the road to WrestleMania, which is annually the ultimate moment to introduce friends to who everyone is and what’s going on in the crazy world of pro wrestling. But Raw’s night on Netflix isn’t too far behind when we’re talking about the same stakes. Monday Night Raw is the longest-running episodic television show in American history. Its debut on Netflix is ​​a big deal.
One thing to take into account is the night is bigger than the people who watch the show every week. This may be a bitter pill for some to swallow, but this is about showing everyone that there has never been a better time to be a pro wrestling fan and that nobody does it like the WWE. The hype will be there. Bet the house on them delivering spectacularly on night one.
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Innovative production ideas
The WWE presentation of wrestling is about to go stratospheric
over 2024, WWE has introduced its audience to a lot of new ways to present its vision of professional wrestling. One of the most immediate ways viewers can feel that comes when wrestlers cut a promo backstage and go through gorilla position to get to the ring. It’s simple but it’s fresh when you see it for the first time. WWE fans may be used to the 8K camera introductions for championship matches and the brilliant, gladiatorial ring-announcing skills of Samantha Irwin, but All of this will look and feel like a blockbuster movie to anyone who hasn’t experienced it before.
Taking in everything from individual graphics packages for superstars to experimental camera work with drones, there are already a lot of unsaid improvements. Go back and listen to some of the deplorable things coming out of Jerry Lawler’s mouth and compare it to the undeniable charm of Michael Cole and Pat McAfee giggling about Antlers and telling Dirty Dominik Mysterio what they think of him. These are much better times if you care to live in the now and not in the warmer throes of nostalgia. There will be even more improvements when the jump to Netflix comes (Hopefully including no more censored crowd chants) and it’s a very exciting prospect.
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An upswing in wrestling content on Netflix
WWE and Netflix will compliment each other
One of the key components of WWE’s relationship with Netflix is ​​to accentuate each other’s positives. Both are in the business of selling drama. While there are enough bad WWE Studio movies in people’s memories for no one to be clamoring for more of them, there is a good chance that members of the WWE roster will appear in Netflix productions. The Creative possibilities when it comes to a Netflix-owned property like Glow are incredible When they can use actual WWE Superstars of the past and present.
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There are also Endless possibilities for Netflix to produce documentaries On the great moments and superstars of the present and past of WWE. No company will ever compete with WWE when it comes to mainstream historical pedigree. Paul Heyman has worked with A&E on their WWE documentaries and “cinematic” presentations. There’s a lot for fans to be potentially excited about here.
How will advertising work for streaming sports?
WrestleMania 39 was a gigantic success and the first sign of the era that is now in full bloom. One of the marquee matches that year involved Rey Mysterio against his son Dominic. The year-long feud results in a home invasion, Dom betrays his father by kicking him between the legs in a stadium full of people, and he and his girlfriend publicly walk out of his Hall of Fame induction speech. The match itself then had A ring flanked by Cinnamon Crunch Toast logos flashing on the LED advertising screens All the way through.
If there will be no traditional advertising breaks on Monday Night Raw (and that has yet to be determined), events like this are likely to become much more common. How distracting this is, is at the viewer’s discretion, however Live sports are about to enter the streaming era like never before In the next decade. The first glimpse of what that might look like may come on Monday Night Raw.
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A new WWE Championship belt
An update to WWE’s biggest prize is needed
Slowly but surely, WWE is working its way through all the holes in their armor. One of the main arguments is that WWE’s current World Title schedule doesn’t look prestigious enough For such a vital component of the company. In fact, the current belt is one of the worst-looking world titles in the history of the business.
On the surface, it may not seem like it, but the WWE Champion holding their world championship on media tours is a big deal. It’s something that’s meant to be swooned over by fans and craved by the wrestlers at the top of the food chain. It was a long-standing rumor that Cody Rhodes campaigned for a return of the Winged Eagle belt. Whatever it looks like, it’s sure to be an improvement on the company’s current design.
“I love the Winged Eagle, which is the title of the 1990s. Hulk Hogan wore it. The Ultimate Warrior wore it. Ric Flair wore it. Bret Hart wore it. And I’m actively trying to find a way to get It in the WWE world – Cody Rhodes to GQ Sports.
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The return of celebrity appearances
Monday Night Raw is about to be hot property
From musicians, actors and game show hosts, to the Muppets and former presidents, WWE has an illustrious history in celebrity appearances. Now that they sell out every arena they book and have a live show with the potential to reach hundreds of millions of homes, Monday Night Raw is about to become a highly coveted slot for anyone With something to promote. The relative quality of each celebrity’s performance is often reflective of how much of a fan they are of the world of WWE.
Jonah Hill’s tapings in 2011 were so bad that his Monday Night Raw hosting appearance was canceled, but Logan Paul understood WWE and its audience so much that he is now a full-time member of the roster. Bad Bunny is here with Canadian Destroyers and has one of the greatest entrances in WWE history at Backlash in Puerto Rico. There is an ever-increasing cool factor with WWE that will appeal to the world’s biggest stars, so celebrity appearances will be a much more frequent occurrence. Let’s hope they’re more Hugh Jackman than the Three Stooges.
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A change in WWE entrance music policy
Looking for a change in approach to music on WWE TV
A wrestler’s entrance theme is one of the most important parts of their entire presentation. From Real Americans playing Hulk Hogan to the ring in the 80s to the glass shattering signifying that it was time for Stone Cold Steve Austin to open a can of wap ass, Music plays a huge role in the WWE ecosystem. The days of current WWE entrance music composers, Def Rebel, seem numbered, much to the delight of lovers of non-generic musical ideas everywhere. Where they go from here is what is more interesting.
WWE has experimented with playing full songs from musical artists as montages for their Superstars on Raw, and a full music video was recently uploaded to WWE’s YouTube channel to document CM Punk and Drew McIntyre’s instant classic Hell In A Cell match. With such a huge platform, Established or emerging artists providing theme music for a WWE wrestler would be huge For both parties. The potential options at WWE’s disposal here feel like they could break new ground between music and wrestling.
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The return of PPV
It can’t all be sunshine and rainbows
As well as WWE securing this exciting new TV deal, rivals AEW also just scored new distribution in the form of Warner Bros Discovery and HBO’s Max. What is of note is that while their flagship show, Dynamite, and a host of the company’s weekly television will come with a regular subscription, Max subscribers will be asked to pay extra for AEW’s big PPV events. It is expected to be much less than the audience is currently used to paying, but there will be an additional charge nonetheless.
WWE has some of the most recognizable brand names in PPV history. WrestleMania is an event that has transcended the world of wrestling to become a global, annual cultural event. The Royal Rumble isn’t too far behind. While the hope is that WWE brings back big production sets for its signature PLE events, the likelihood is that Audiences may have to pay for the biggest shows of the year In the not-too-distant future. The return of the SmackDown fist would soften the blow a bit though.
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A Women’s Mid-Card Championship
Expect WWE to celebrate their women even further
Assembling a rich wealth of talent across WWE and NXT’s women’s divisions is one of the company’s greatest recent accomplishments. Developing characters and improving the presentation of its women over the last decade, the presentation of women in WWE is a far cry from what viewers will have seen of the attitude or ruthless aggression. The competition is so fierce that It was a long-standing bracket for a women’s mid-card title And this point in time feels like the perfect time and place to do it.
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In the short term, A hotly contested tournament can showcase a litany of incredible women In high-stakes matches. In the long term, it is needed on so many levels. Superstars like Sonya Deville, Piper Niven, Ivy Nile and Kairi Sane are not in the main title picture, but there should be a title for their immense talent to fight over. For the likes of Jade Cargill and Chelsea Green, it’s a chance for the audience to react to them as champions ahead of the possibility of winning the Women’s Championship in the future. It all makes sense.
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The most successful year in WWE history
Everything is in place for WWE to create history
When WWE comes to Netflix in January 2025, it will have a mix of exciting original superstars, household names, respected veterans and the last year of John Cena, one of the most beloved wrestlers of all time. The presentation of wrestling has never been better, and it comes at a time when they will reach more people than ever before. When you consider it’s going to be a tough year away from the ring, WWE will be more determined than ever to provide quality programming for its audience.
It may sound silly but “every story makes sense now” went an awfully long way to restoring faith in WWE’s creative resurgence, and its success has fans at a point where it’s hard to see how the Paul Levesque era can lose. Fans have waited a long time for a cohesive WWE product to be proud of. WWE’s Chief Creative Officer speaks at press conferences after PLEs and every time he reads from a sheet of paper, viewers are told a lot about the WWE has broken records. If they can build on the creative work and production improvements of the past eighteen months, while learning from the myriad mistakes of wrestling’s past, This could be the most profitable year in WWE history. No pressure.