Variety has released a new report featuring viewership statistics for WWE’s key PLEs and weekly episodic shows, including RAW, SmackDown, and NXT, from January to June 2025.
WWE transitioned to Netflix as part of its $5 billion global deal for 10 years, which began in January this year. The globally prominent pro wrestling promotion started things off spectacularly, only to lose a substantial chunk of its momentum after WrestleMania 41.
In India, WWE’s long-standing partnership with Sony ended in March 2025, and all WWE programming (RAW, SmackDown, NXT, and PLEs like WrestleMania) transitioned to Netflix under the massive 10-year global deal.
While a large portion of WWE’s global fan base has praised the deal, thanks to Netflix offering a more immersive and ad-free version of WWE’s main shows (excluding live events) compared to cable TV networks, the story in India is quite the opposite.
The majority of Indian WWE fans want the promotion to return to SonyLIV, as that platform charged significantly less for access to WWE content compared to Netflix’s subscription plans.
Moreover, the quality of storytelling and character development has noticeably dropped post-WrestleMania 41. Below is the list of average viewership numbers for all of WWE’s PLEs and weekly episodic shows in 2025:
Royal Rumble (February 1): 3 million views
Elimination Chamber (March 1): 1.9 million views
WrestleMania 41 – Night One (April 19): 2.4 million views
WrestleMania 41 – Night Two (April 20): 2.8 million views
Backlash (May 10): 1.5 million views
Money in the Bank (June 7): 1.6 million views
Night of Champions (June 28): 1 million views
In addition, RAW’s average viewership ranged from an impressive 6.9 million for its Netflix premiere episode on January 6, 2025, to 1.4 million by June 30, 2025. SmackDown, on the other hand, ranged from 1 million to a mere 600,000 during the same time period (excluding U.S. viewership, as SmackDown airs on USA Network there).
All these stats clearly indicate that WWE has lost a significant portion of its footing among its fanbase on Netflix. Many reasons have been attributed to this decline: the absence of top superstars like Roman Reigns, the loss of momentum after WrestleMania 41, a lack of compelling storylines, too many PLEs leaving little room for fans to connect with characters and narratives, increased focus on revenue generation due to TKO’s rising pressure, and more.
Despite boasting the best talent in the world, ample resources, and branding this year as both John Cena’s farewell tour and a landmark year for WWE, the promotion seems unable to recapture its core elements.
The shift to Netflix, while globally a significant financial win for WWE, presents a nuanced challenge, particularly in the Indian market. The current viewership figures suggest that the “Netflix era” has introduced a premium paywall that is affecting WWE’s traditionally broad accessibility in India.
While the long-term implications are still unfolding, these early numbers, coupled with fan sentiment regarding creative quality, indicate that WWE and Netflix face an uphill battle in fully replicating the widespread engagement the brand enjoyed, especially during 2021–24.
Ultimately, the success of this new chapter for WWE will hinge not only on star power and high-stakes events but also on addressing accessibility concerns in key international markets like India and consistently delivering storylines that keep viewers engaged beyond the initial hype. The coming months will be crucial in determining whether WWE can recapture its momentum and truly thrive under the global streaming giant.
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