WWE’s flagship show, Raw, aired on Netflix for the first time, with several big names returning.

The highly anticipated program featured superstars including The Rock, John Cena and The Undertaker during the three-hour event in Los Angeles.

Pro wrestling’s most popular weekly show previously aired on television around the world for 31 years.

But last year, bosses at TKO – the company formed from WWE’s merger with UFC – announced Raw would be available exclusively for streaming.

It is claimed to attract 17.5 million viewers each week in the US and that WWE has a billion followers across various social media platforms.

Reviews of the first show suggested that it was “far from perfect” but that there were “many special moments to report”.

Another noted the “amazing production values ​​and improved visuals” but criticized “the sameness of promos” delivered by stars like Triple H, The Rock and John Cena.

There was praise for the in-ring action, but there was widespread agreement that WWE hiring Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan was “a misstep” after the California crowd erupted in loud boos during his performance.

The show also marked the start of John Cena’s “farewell tour,” with the star announcing that 2025 will be his final year as a competitor.

Considered one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, Cena has achieved world champion status 16 times since joining WWE in 2001, a joint record.

He told cheering fans that he “couldn’t think of a better place to begin his farewell,” while also expressing his intention to “win the Royal Rumble” event in February.

Fans were also happy to see the return of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, a director of TKO.

The Rock has played the villainous role of “Final Boss” before, but on this occasion he spoke about the “story” of the evening and, to the surprise of many, praised and hugged former rival Cody Rhodes.

He later appeared at the end of the Tribal Combat Match between Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa and hugged Reigns after his victory.

That evening, The Undertaker also made a brief return at the end of the Women’s World Championship match between Liv Morgan and Rhea Ripley.

It was the culmination of a long-term story that helped Ripley win the championship.

The action ended with CM Punk and Seth Rollins following a much-lauded back-and-forth promo on the final televised episode of Raw.

It was a match that was widely regarded as the highlight of the evening’s in-ring action, with the sometimes divisive Punk emerging victorious.

What the Netflix deal could mean for WWE

Netflix agreed to pay more than $5 billion (£4 billion) for the rights to broadcast Raw and other WWE programming, including archive content.

Viewers outside the US can watch all weekly shows such as SmackDown, NXT and live events through the service.

The company said this would include pay-per-view specials such as WrestleMania, SummerSlam and Royal Rumble.

It said the deal would initially affect fans in the US, Canada, UK and Latin America before later expanding to other countries.

“So many people are on Netflix, turning it on and watching WWE prominently,” says Brandon Thurston, editor of wrestling website Wrestlenomics.

“So this could have a big positive impact on their business.”

With streaming on the rise and television numbers declining, Brandon believes WWE has an opportunity to reach more households around the world and attract a newer, younger audience.

“We are moving away from traditional television and towards the most popular streaming platform. So there should be even more viewers between the ages of 18 and 49.”

Raw had a three-hour running time for twelve years before being reduced to two hours in late 2024.

WWE Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque says the streaming platform gives them “flexibility” when it comes to timing.

And Brandon feels that this can also affect the style of the content as it can have more or less from week to week.

“You have the freedom of not being tied to a time slot,” he says, unlike normal TV times.

While Brandon believes there are overwhelmingly positive aspects to the deal, he points out that the reliance on the streamer could also potentially be negative.

“There is a real possibility that Netflix will lose subscribers for one reason or another.

“(But) I think it’s important to emphasize how far ahead of everyone else it is in the streaming market.”

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