There’s a definite theme emerging around Netflix and its live sporting events. From the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson fight to its Christmas Day NFL streams, Netflix is consistently delivering strong viewership metrics. That’s not necessarily a surprise for a streaming service that has more than 282 million customers around the world, but it’s encouraging for a service that is still finding its footing when it comes to live events. The pattern of success is continuing with Netflix’s first attempt at live streaming an episode of “WWE Raw,” as its recently-released ratings data demonstrates.

Key Details:

• Netflix drew 4.9 million Live+1 views to Monday’s episode of “WWE Raw” globally.
• In the U.S., 2.6 million households watched, which is more than double the ratings “Raw” drew on linear TV.
• Netflix owns the rights to stream “WWE Raw” for the next decade.

Globally, “WWE Raw” saw 4.9 million Live+1 views roll in for Monday’s episode on Netflix. That number includes live viewing as well as on-demand streams over the course of the next day, but it should also be noted there are 92 territories in which Netflix is available, but doesn’t stream “WWE Raw.”

Netflix cites numbers generated by VideoAmp to lay out its domestic ratings. They show that 2.6 million households in the United States (live plus same day) tuned into the “Raw” episode, 116% greater than the 1.2 million average households per episode that watched the show on linear TV in 2024. The Netflix stream’s ratings were higher than any Monday night “Raw” broadcast of the past five years.

“Raw” was a big hit on social media during its Netflix debut, as well. It was the No. 1 trending topic on X (the social media site formerly called Twitter) in the U.S., Brazil, Australia, and the United Kingdom when the episode started, and continued as the top trending topic in the U.K. for 14 hours straight.

Best yet, it appears that Netflix was able to avoid technical problems that plagued its Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson boxing match in November. Hundreds of thousands of people were unable to watch the stream of that fight because of connection or buffering issues, but it seems Netflix sidestepped that problem on Monday.

If Netflix can continue to deliver these types of numbers for “WWE Raw” each week, it will give sports leagues even more confidence in streaming services to distribute their content. Netflix paid $5 billion total to stream “WWE Raw” over the course of the next decade, and as of now, it seems like money well spent.

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Netflix is a leading subscription-based video streaming service that offers on-demand access to an extensive library of over 3,000 movies, 2,000+ TV shows, and a growing collection of acclaimed Netflix originals. Renowned for producing groundbreaking content, Netflix has become a cultural powerhouse with hit originals like “Stranger Things,” “Wednesday,” “Squid Game,” “The Crown,” “Tiger King,” “Bridgerton,” “The Witcher,” and “Black Mirror.”

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The platform constantly updates its catalog, introducing fresh content alongside timeless classics and international hits. Netflix’s commitment to storytelling has also earned critical acclaim, with award-winning exclusives such as “Roma,” “Marriage Story,” “The Power of the Dog,” “Mank,” and “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.” In 2023, their animated film “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio” won an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, further solidifying Netflix’s reputation for high-quality content.

Recently, Netflix has expanded beyond standard movies and TV titles with the addition of video podcasts, and is also exploring a digital store that would offer third-party streamers within the app.

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