Netflix Drops New WWE Raw Trailer as Viewership Continues to Slide

Netflix unveiled a fresh promotional trailer for WWE Raw this week, spotlighting the streaming era of the red brand. The slick video emphasizes Raw as a “must-watch global event,” but the timing is curious given the ongoing challenges with viewership — and the fact that the retiring John Cena is featured prominently.

What’s in the Trailer?

The trailer, currently live on Netflix’s official YouTube channel, hypes Raw as the platform’s centerpiece for live sports-style entertainment:

“Netflix, the home for WWE Raw, continues to deliver week after week with star-studded appearances and high-stakes title matches and tournament drama. Whether it’s surprise returns, viral showdowns, or storylines unfolding in real time, Monday nights, live on Netflix is a must-watch for wrestling fans around the world.”

The video also highlights several SmackDown stars — an odd choice considering the show is branded specifically as Raw. Industry insiders speculate this may be a deliberate strategy to showcase WWE’s crossover appeal across brands, or simply a case of Netflix pushing star power over brand accuracy.

Notably, John Cena is featured throughout, despite his farewell match being set for December. That alone raises questions about how long this version of the trailer will remain in rotation.

The Numbers Tell Another Story

While the marketing push is strong, the streaming data tells a different tale. According to internal reporting, the September 22, 2025 episode of WWE Raw brought in just 2.3 million global views — the lowest since the show debuted on Netflix — along with 4.5 million total hours watched.

That’s a steep drop from the prior week’s 2.6 million views and 5.3 million hours watched. Numbers for the September 29 episode have not yet been released, but WWE and Netflix are surely monitoring the downward trend with concern.

For context, Netflix’s broader catalog relies heavily on consistency in global engagement, and while Raw has delivered buzzworthy moments, the weekly drop-offs are creating real questions about whether the platform’s audience aligns with traditional WWE television viewing habits.

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Netflix clearly wants to frame Raw as a marquee live attraction, but relying on John Cena in the trailer feels like leaning on yesterday’s star to fix today’s problem. While Cena boosts nostalgia and name value, it also underlines WWE’s struggle to fully transition into a new era of headliners. The declining weekly numbers don’t necessarily mean Raw on Netflix is failing — but they do suggest that WWE Creative and Netflix Marketing will need to rethink how to keep audiences hooked beyond the initial novelty.

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