If there had been concerns among WWE officials that wrestling enthusiasts might not tune into Netflix to watch Monday Night Raw, those worries seemed unfounded when they examined the initial viewership figures. After transitioning from the USA Network to the streaming service last year due to acquiring the rights, it appears that at least for its premiere, ratings have increased compared to previous years.
Based on data from VideoAmp, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter, the initial broadcast of Monday Night Raw on Netflix attracted approximately 2.6 million households. This figure surpasses the average number of households that tuned in to watch Raw on the USA Network in 2024 by more than double. In fact, the typical household audience for Raw on the USA Network was about 1.2 million last year. It appears that Raw is already experiencing growth in its new streaming home, which no doubt brings joy to Netflix, who secured a $5 billion deal to stream the weekly show just a year ago.
Last Monday’s episode of Monday Night Raw showed an increase in its target audience demographic (18-49 years old), with the viewership figure nearly doubling compared to last year. While global records haven’t been shattered, the team behind it should be pleased with the performance. In regions where the streaming service is distributing Raw, such as the UK, Canada, Australia, and Latin America, the show garnered 4.9 million views on Monday and Tuesday. This number might seem small considering that a popular English-language series on Netflix has averaged over 15.5 million views in ten weeks. However, it’s important to note that Raw is not yet available globally on the platform, and it’s absent from key territories like Germany, France, Italy, South Korea, and others. As of now, programming from the WWE is still unavailable in 92 countries on the streamer.
Monday Night Raw is Netflix’s Attempt to Break Into Live Programming
Netflix has been aiming to expand its influence in live programming, and securing the rights for Monday Night Raw was a move towards that goal. Given the intense passion and unwavering loyalty of wrestling fans, it’s strategic for Netflix to cater to this audience. If viewers were going to transition to watch WWE events, it would be wrestling enthusiasts, and so far, it seems to be working out. There is still potential for further growth. However, it’s important to note that this is the initial broadcast, and some might have hesitated to fully commit until they checked with friends about the streaming quality and whether there were any issues. After all, Netflix has had challenges during live sporting events in the past, such as the Jake Paul-Mike Tyson fight which experienced difficulties streaming live on the platform.
Netflix’s agreement with WWE extends beyond just “Monday Night Raw.” The streaming service also secures exclusive distribution rights for top-tier events produced by WWE, a role that used to be filled by pay-per-view. Moreover, they will house weekly broadcasts like “Smackdown” and “NXT,” marking a significant shift in the live programming landscape. It’ll be intriguing to observe how these shows adapt and transform on their new platform.
Every Monday, fresh episodes of WWE Monday Night Raw will air, and afterwards, you’ll be able to watch them exclusively on Netflix.
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2025-01-09 23:31