As much as WWE fans love pro wrestling, watching a three-hour show on a weekly basis can often feel like a chore.
On Monday, those fans who have been hopeful that WWE Raw will return to its two-hour format got their wish, with the pro wrestling giant announcing that its flagship show will air from 8-10 p.m. ET beginning on Oct. 7. The move, however, will only be temporary, culminating with the final episode of Raw on the USA Network on Dec. 30.
BREAKING: #WWERaw will be on @USANetwork from 8pm ET to 10pm ET starting on Monday, October 7th and through the rest of 2024 culminating with the @USANetwork finale on Monday, December 30!
— WWE (@WWE) September 10, 2024
After originally launching as a one-hour show in 1993, Raw moved to two hours in 1997, with the occasional special episode extending to three hours. On July 16, 2012 — Raw‘s 1,000th episode — the show made the permanent move to a three-hour format, where it has remained ever since.
Most WWE fans seemingly prefer the two-hour format, as it makes for an easier watch (and earlier bedtime). The irony of Raw moving to two hours now is that WWE’s product is arguably as hot as it’s ever been and one could argue that, if anything, the company currently doesn’t have enough airtime to adequately feature all of its marquee talent and storylines.
Along those lines, it’s unclear whether Raw will be returning to its three-hour runtime when it officially moves to Netflix in January. But according to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter‘s Dave Meltzer, the decision to move to two hours through the remainder of the year was made by USA Network.
“The basic situation is that it was a USA Network call, not a WWE call,” Meltzer said on the latest episode of Wrestling Observer Radio. “I’m not sure why.”
According to the WrestleVotes account, which frequently shares WWE-related scoops, Raw could even have a fluid runtime on Netflix.
Regarding the news of RAW switching to 2 hours for the rest of the year, I’ve heard that many production and social staff who work behind the scenes found out in real time, just like the rest of us.
As for what this means for 2025 and Netflix, one source said WWE is eagerly…
— WrestleVotes (@WrestleVotes) September 10, 2024
Having aired on USA Network since 2005, WWE announced earlier this year that it had reached a deal to move its flagship show to Netflix at the start of 2025. With its current deal with USA originally set to expire in the fall, WWE reached an agreement for Raw to remain on USA — which is set to become the new home of WWE SmackDown next week — throughout the remainder of the year and it’s likely not a coincidence that the two-hour format will kick in at the same time as WWE’s extension with the network.
[WWE on X]
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.