WWE's Raw Netflix Anniversary Show Pulls In Huge Viewership Numbers

WWE's first anniversary on Netflix was a very happy affair, with early numbers indicating a surge in viewership for the first Monday Night Raw of 2026.

The show, which marked a year since Raw debuted on the streaming platform, was headlined by CM Punk defending his World Heavyweight Championship against Bron Breakker. Becky Lynch also dethroned Maxxine Dupri to reclaim the Women's Intercontinental Championship, while Rhea Ripley and IYO SKY became Women's Tag Team Champions after defeating The Kabuki Warriors.

CM Punk vs. Bron Breakker headlined Raw's first anniversary on Netflix. | WWE

Early reports show a huge jump in viewers For Raw's Stranger Things crossover

The January 5 show, which was marketed as a crossover with Netflix's monstrously successful Stranger Things, drew 1.78 million worldwide views in its opening 24 hours, according to the Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer.

Meltzer's report indicates a 27.9% increase in viewership from the December 29 episode in first-day numbers. With fans in both the US and international territories still catching up with this week's Raw, it is expected that this week's episode will end up drawing somewhere between 2.5 and 3 million viewers for its initial seven-day run.

Last night's Raw show was way up from usual levels. We'll have a story up on the Observer site shortly. A combination of the strong hype for weeks, teases and not having an NFL game head-to-head.
— Dave Meltzer (@davemeltzerWON) January 6, 2026

Among English language shows, the January 5 Raw blew everything else out of the water on its opening day on Netflix, ranking number one in the United States, Canada and Mexico. This is up from being the eighth and ninth most-watched English-language show the week before in the US and Canada, respectively.

Huge hype snd no NFL benefit WWE's Raw numbers

As well as this week's episode being one of the most heavily hyped TV shows WWE has produced over the past 12 months, the lack of competition from the NFL's Monday Night Football was a huge help in pulling in so many extra viewers.

The NFL is now entering the post-season, meaning Monday night games are set to come to an end on January 13 with the Wild Card round game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Houston Texans.

No NFL means a lot less competition for eyeballs for WWE with Raw on a Monday night until football season kicks back off in September. Although NBA postseason games will likely pull some viewers away from the summer.

WWE promoted Monday night's show heavily for weeks, building CM Punk's World Heavyweight Championship defence against Bron Breakker alongside Becky Lynch's challenge for the Intercontinental Title against Maxxine Dupri. The Women's Tag Team Championships were also defended in an eagerly anticipated bout between the Kabuki Warriors (Asuka and Kairi Sane) and Rhea Ripley and IYO SKY.

Liv Morgan also made her first in-ring appearance in seven months on the card, while a line from Adam Pearce in an Instagram promo days before, questioning if somebody would 'break down the walls' was interpreted as a tease for a possible Chris Jericho return, further boosting interest in the show.

While Jericho would not appear at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Monday night, the former Undisputed Champion is expected to appear on WWE television at some point in the very near future.

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