Currently,WWEis the king of cable and the superhero of streaming, with their 2025 deals withNetflix to airRAWand Smackdown locked in on the USA Network. Both situations are garnering huge dividends - not just financially, but creatively, as the promotion may be producing its finest television product ever.
On the Road to WrestleMania, we have seen the biggest stars in the promotion popping up on both programs - even though they are technically supposed to be separate ‘brands’. The two have always had an interesting dynamic, withRAWbeing the flagship show for over 20 years, before Smackdown got top billing by moving to terrestrial television and the Fox Network in 2019.
Things reversed course whenWWE landed a deal with streaming service Netflix, and you could tell right away that the company wanted to take full advantage of the new platform.Early episodes ofRAWhave seen Hollywood stars, musicians, and pro athletes all make cameos - either in the crowd or in the ring itself. In essence, Monday nights have become a party-like atmosphere, whileSmackdownseems like any other wrestling show now.
While it’s not quite noticeable yet, the period followingWrestleManiacould lead to a lull onSmackdown, as WWE will no doubt pour most of their resources and use their heavy hitters for their new baby. Meanwhile,the promotion will handleRAWwith care, as the company is obviously leaning toward a move to full streaming in the future.
The Rise of RAW on Netflix
The Original Flagship Show Reclaims Its Top Spot
What more can you say about the action onRAWsince its big move? The show had been mired in some miserable Mondays on USA, especially when they were being shoehorned into a three-hour block of programming. AsSmackdownbecame bigger and bigger on Fox,RAWwent from being the big brother to the poor sick cousin for the past five years.
While there have been a couple of flies in the ointment, the successful launch of the show on Netflix has opened up more opportunities for streaming platforms. Perhaps parent company TKO Sports will even start its own streaming service someday, akin to what the WWE Network attempted to be. With their Peacock deal expiring in mid-2026, that may be part of WWE President Nick Khan’s ultimate vision.
For now, expect the promotion to put as many eggs in its Netflix basket as possible. They want this endeavor to be a raging success, as it opens up so many doors for the company. It also provides them amazing leverage when it comes to negotiating with any future rights holders. From a business perspective, it makes all the sense in the world to invest as much time and energy into RAW as possible. Butwill that causeSmackdownto suffer in the long run?
The Three-Hour Program Has Hamstrung Smackdown
Lots of Filler on Friday Nights
On theSmackdownside of the ledger, the show has benefited recently from a lot of talent crossovers, leading up to Wrestlemania. Unfortunately, that’s not going to last forever, and the fans could be in for a few long months when it comes to the blue brand.Many in the WWE Universe don’t enjoy the three-hour format, as they realize there’s a lot of filler added to every episode. Even the man in charge of the creative process agrees: the show is more effective with a shorter run time.
6 Best Moments From the Raw Netflix Kickoff Show
WWE’s Raw kicked off its upcoming Netflix season with a show packed with entertainment, drama, and announcements.
“Sometimes, when we do three-hour shows, there’s a little bit of collapsible stuff in there that’s put in on purpose,“Triple H statedin January during an appearance onThe Pat McAfee Show. “It’s a little bit of fat in the show that you can trim off if you need to. But a two-hour show sometimes … there are a lot of times when we get done with a two-hour show where I think, ‘Man, I would like to have put more in there, I would like to have given more people the opportunity to tell these stories that we didn’t get a chance to do.’ So somewhere between that two and that three-hour window to me is the sweet spot.”
Can WWE Maintain a Balance Between the Two Shows?
Right Now, Things Are Tilting a Bit Toward RAW
For now, both programs are getting that oldWrestlemaniarub, but it’s very easy to foreseeSmackdownhaving a few rough months before they go back to a two-hour format. In the meantime,RAWenjoys the comfort of not having any time constraints on Netflix. They can end the show right at 10 ET, or do a slight run-over. That’s the beauty of being on a streaming service.
Moreover, the traditional re-start after ‘Mania will bea good indicator of which side the promotion will tilt toward. If they have their top stars loaded up on Monday Nights, thenSmackdownwill become an afterthought for fans. Currently, there’s already a small percentage of fans who feel that way anyway. Many say they can’t missRAW.But if they happen to blow past a Friday night without checking out the blue brand, they don’t feel like it’s as big a loss.
That could fester even further over the course of the next year. The company has every reason to stay in good graces with Netflix and the opportunities it affords. But it shouldn’t come at the expense of their other main program. With Triple H booking Monday Nights like it’s a mini-Super Bowl presentation,it will be hard for fans to viewSmackdownas anything but that ‘other show’.While that may be a positive for Monday Nights, it’s not likely to be “best for business” when it comes toSmackdown.
