On January 6, WWE will begin a new chapter as its flagship show "WWE Raw" moves away from cable television and transitions into the streaming world, specifically on Netflix. For international fans, Netflix will become the home for all weekly WWE shows and will include premium live events, such as WrestleMania, starting in 2025. During the "Raw on Netflix Kickoff," former WWE Champion CM Punk noted that he foresees WWE’s upcoming debut on Netflix as a massive turning point, especially in terms of the company’s reach.
"I think historically, if you look at the landscape of professional wrestling, when it was territories and they were packing stadiums, like Shea Stadium and all that other stuff, but nobody ever thought this is going to be on cable television and then we did it," Punk said. "We just had a successful Saturday Night’s Main Event at a sold-out Nassau Coliseum. I look at that as a similar turning point … These hardcore fans are the lifeblood of the business. And what being on network television in the 80s for Saturday Night’s Main Event did to make new hardcore fans and attract new people to WWE, I look at Netflix as the same thing."
As Punk pointed out, WWE already has incredible reach heading into the new year. Once the WWE product officially hits the streaming platform, Punk believes it will expand to a figure even larger than many people can grasp. "I think it’s going to be even bigger than any of us dream," he said.
The "Raw" Netflix premiere will take place at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles. Stars like Rhea Ripley, Roman Reigns, Cody Rhodes, Liv Morgan, and John Cena are advertised for the event. Seth Rollins vs. CM Punk is currently slated as the show’s main event.
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit WWE with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
