WWE fans in meltdown as major change to Monday Night Raw is announced before move to Netflix
WWE fans have given decidedly mixed views to the news that its flagship weekly show Monday Night Raw is reverting back to a two-hour format next month.
First aired in 1993, Raw has been a staple part of WWE television since its maiden episodes filmed in a cramped Manhattan Center in New York City.
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In the decades since, it has become a household name and compulsory viewing for millions around the world.
Now, major changes are ahead in 2025 for Raw and WWE’s broadcasting altogether, with the company set to move to streaming giant Netlfix in a mammoth deal reportedly worth $5bn that will see Raw and WWE’s Premium Live Events like WrestleMania and SummerSlam will be aired on Netflix come the New Year.
In the interim, however, the grappling giants have announced a major change to the format of the popular show.
Its broadcast deal with Stateside broadcaster the USA Network had originally been set to expire in October and, to bridge the gap, the show will remain where it is until the end of the year – but only as a two-hour broadcast.
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For the last 12 years, Raw has been a three-hour programme each Monday night as the likes of John Cena, Randy Orton and The Undertaker have wowed fans with the tremendous mix of athleticism and pantomime that is WWE.
Compared to its two-hour Friday night counterpart, SmackDown, Raw has been a slog for some fans to watch over the years, but that’s not to say all viewers are altogether pleased with the announcement that an hour will be cut when the change comes in October.
WWE fan Jonathan Elgie took the development well enough, BBC Newsbeat: "Sometimes there is too much of a good thing.
"Sometimes it feels like you're watching the product for three hours and this is coming from someone who's been a wrestling fan almost my whole life.
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"It's necessary at this point to shorten it down. There's a lot of filler in there that doesn't need to be in there."
Elgie was also wary of what the change might mean for a portion of WWE performers, adding: “[There] might be talent pulled from the show that otherwise wouldn't be able to show their skills.”
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That’s a view shared by some fans on X, one posting: “Two hours? [There is] too much talent for two hours.”
Other fans held stronger views, to the positive and negative. One said: “Why the hell are they changing Raw to two hours??," while another added: “This is a terrible idea...”
One fan, far happier at the news, said: “Our prayers have been answered. “Two-hour Raws are back baby!”
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Another added amongst the general mix of feelings: “So for the last 15 plus years fans gave been pissing and moaning to lose the third hour, and now that it's happening, the fans are upset? That checks out…”
Notably, it is not yet clear as to whether Raw will revert back to a three-hour format once it debuts on Netflix in 2025, or whether the two-hour edition will remain a permanent change.
Regardless, here in the UK it will be a complete overhaul for viewers - all WWE programming including Raw, SmackDown and PLEs being shown via the streaming service.
It ends a tenure on linear television for WWE going back decades to when the grunt and groan action of the Hulk Hogan era first hit UK screens on Sky.
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