WWE’s Netflix era began on January 6 with a strategic focus on welcoming new viewers to professional wrestling. The debut episode deliberately simplified storylines to accommodate Netflix’s vast subscriber base of 283 million across 190 countries.
Chelsea Green discussed this approach during an interview with The Sports Agent, explaining the importance of establishing fundamentals for new audiences.
Absolutely. Honestly, it’s just that episode. Cause you have to imagine, we have been hyping this up on Netflix for so long. They have 283 million subscribers in 190 countries. We need to bring it back to the basics so that when they tune in, they understand what’s going on.
Green emphasized that introducing complex storylines immediately would risk alienating first-time viewers, comparing it to starting a soap opera mid-season. The strategy proved successful, with the episode drawing 2.6 million US viewers and 4.9 million viewers globally.
Strong Performance Continues Despite Runtime Adjustment
The following episode from San Jose demonstrated RAW’s sustained success on Netflix despite a shortened runtime. The program, running 30 minutes shorter than its debut, maintained its position as the most-watched show in the United States.
Notable matches included Penta’s victory over Chad Gable, Lyra Valkyria winning the inaugural Women’s Intercontinental Championship, and Damian Priest defeating Finn Balor in a Street Fight. The show outperformed popular Netflix content including “American Primeval,” “Jerry Springer: LCA,” and “Squid Game 2.”
WWE’s programming success extends internationally, with RAW, SmackDown, and NXT securing top 10 positions across multiple markets including the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada.
