Of all the things happening on the 2025 TV schedule, nothing is more exciting to me than WWE's Monday Night Raw moving to Netflix. Since this announcement, rumors swirled over what will change when the wrestling organization moves its flagship show to streaming, with some even suggesting that we could be in for another arrival of the controversial Attitude Era. However, now, company President Nick Khan has cleared the air on the rumors regarding the potential rating of Monday Night Raw, and given a definitive answer on what's ahead for the show's big move to Netflix.
Netflix is no stranger to hosting explicit content, but would the WWE want to retread old ground after years of promoting a mostly PG product? Thanks to a press event between the two companies that Sports Illustrated and others attended, we now know the answer, and it makes a lot of sense.
Nick Khan Addresses Rumors Of Monday Night Raw Becoming More Extreme
CM Punk and others have teased on Monday Night Raw that they'll be able to say whatever they want without television censorship getting in the way. However, it doesn't appear that the WWE will let that fly.
To that point, Nick Khan confirmed that in terms of the product itself, there are no plans to change its rating as it moves from the USA Network to Netflix:
We're not changing the rating of our programming. There's some online chatter about, oh, it's gonna be R rated, or for us old folks, like X rated. That's definitely not happening. So it's family friendly, multi-generational, advertiser friendly programming. It's gonna stay that way. I would look for more global flair, especially as the relationship [with Netflix] continues to develop.
While the WWE has sparingly implemented some Attitude-Era cursing for when guys like Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson come around, it looks like it'll maintain its overall PG product under Netflix. So, those wondering if they need to alter their Netflix subscriptions to block the content shouldn't worry for now.
Why It Makes Sense WWE Is Not Switching The Tone Of Monday Night Raw
As someone who took their young daughter to Monday Night Raw in 2024, I can confirm that WWE is still very much for the kids. As the wrestling organization looks to potentially increase its viewership with the jump to Netflix, the last thing it wants to do is alienate a number of its viewers by vastly changing up the product.
It's also worth noting that this deal with Netflix may raise interest in upcoming WWE events, which are often sponsored by big brands. Ensuring the product is clean enough that the biggest possible advertisers still want to do business with the company is likely a priority, which is why I never seriously expected the Attitude Era to make a comeback.
The good news is that the current WWE product is very good, and I'd say the "PG" tagline often thrown on it can be misleading. I would liken it to a live sporting event, in which almost anything can happen. Occasionally, there will be swearing, blood, and unexpected raunchiness. Honestly, its version of PG aligns more with what the rating meant in the '80s, and that may give readers a better idea of what to expect when Monday Night Raw makes its big debut on the legacy streamer.
So, with that rumor cleared up, make sure to fire up Netflix on Monday, January 6th, for the first Monday Night Raw on the platform. It may not be as wild as the Attitude Era, but I expect some big surprises on the first show and more as they dive into WrestleMania season.
