WWE’s Netflix Era has kicked off with a show billed as not only the biggestWWE Rawof all time, but also an event arguably more worthy of a PLE. Streamed live around the world from the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, and in front of a huge crowd,Rawbrought together current superstars with The Undertaker (as the American Badass), John Cena and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson for a packed episode.
Why Netflix Censored The Rock On Raw
The reason for the audio dropping was immediately obvious for anyone paying close enough attention: a visibly excited Johnson hyped up Cole and McAfee saying “let’s f*cking go!”, as the crowd matched his energy.
Later in the same promo, The Rock got away with dropping a “bullsh*t” without the audio dropping, but clearly, even on Netflix, the Standards and Practices department still has lines that can’t be crossed. Oddly, that sits at odds with whatTriple H seemed to promiseonThe Pat McAfee Showback in June 2024, when he said censorship would not be an issue on Netflix:
Right now, just as an example of us being on Fox, if the crowd chants ‘Holy sh**,’ or something much worse, they just take that audio. Sometimes they take the picture and the audio off, and it’s just black screen… We won’t have those issues with Netflix. The ability to be live globally, the ability to have everything seen all at once everywhere, it’s a game-changing moment.
Ironically, of course, McAfee’s line of questioning about censorship was prompted by The Rock’s return earlier in 2024 that led to a now infamoussocial media tiradeaimed at the network’s Standards and Practices department:
Standards and Practices though, they push the button. They push the button because they want to control The Rock. Just like they push the buttons like they want to control the people. But you can’t control The Rock, you can’t control the people, and The Rock is the People’s Champion.
It might be prudent to expect Johnson to respond to the censorship again, given Netflix chose not to edit out the very obvious “f*ck you, Solo!” chants that greeted Solo Sikoa’s arrival to ringside. Clearly the crowd are governed by different rules, which is a difficult thing to complain about: commitment to atmosphere is different to superstars dropping f-bombs.
Presumably, Netflix will still draw the line at offensive fan signs as they did for the Smackdown outage that got under Johnson’s skin last year, but the signs are a little mixed at the minute. Particularly with The Rock drink driving in a backstage segment, and rapper Travis Scott joining Jey Uso for his entrance quite clearly smoking a joint (despite a game attempt to pass it off as “sage” by commentary).
What Other Changes To Expect In WWE’s Netflix Era
It’s early days, but some changes are already confirmed forWWE Rawon Netflix. Triple H confirmed shortly before the first episode on the platform that the run-time of episodes would no longer be set quite as firmly. The needs of the story will dictate how long things will run, even if there’s a sweet spot by Levesque’s admission of somewhere between 2 and 3 hours:
It will be flexible. It will be flexible in I don’t necessarily know the time constraints of network television or cable television apply. It’s a slightly different platform. Much like many episodic shows, they have the ability to do whatever the show needs to have down. If this episode needs to be an hour, great, it’s an hour. If the next episode needs to be 42 minutes, it’s 42 minutes. It’s what makes for the best product. I’m not saying we’re going to be 42 minutes, but clearly we’ll deliver the product in a way that is best for Netflix and their business model and best for our storytelling.
While you might go to commercials if you’re in Texas, if you’re in Italy you’re going to see us continue content. You’re going to see the continuation of a match. You’re going to see exclusive interviews with our talent. You might see an exclusive package that will only be viewed on that international level.
As for the product itself? Very little changed.Paul Heyman told ScreenRantthat WWE would have to evolve to match the new platform and its growing audience, but that was very much a forward-looking prediction.
WWE Raw
Cast
WWE Raw is a live weekly television program that began airing in 1993, showcasing a rotating cast of WWE Superstars. Known for its dramatic storylines and athletic matches, it has become a cornerstone of professional wrestling entertainment on Monday nights.
