Why WWE Raw Is Switching Back To 2 Hours On USA Network

Many fans and wrestlers alike were taken off guard by the abrupt announcement that as of October 7, 2024, Monday Night RAW would be returning to the two hour format for the first time since the permanent switch to three hours over a decade ago in 2012. RAW will be two hours long for a few months before the show officially moves over to Netflix in January.

In the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer has noted the reason behind this change. WWE’s original television deal with the USA Network only lasted until October, and the new deal signed to extend their stay until the move over to Netflix was only for a two hour show. It is believed that this will cause an overall increase in viewership due to the lowest rated third hour no longer being included. It is also said that “almost nobody in the company as far as talent” were in knowledge of RAW going from three to two hours before the announcement was made.

When it comes to how long RAW will be on Netflix, this is still to be determined, though the belief is that the length of RAW will vary from week to week around the three hour mark due to not having the constraints of weekly TV to contend with, meaning WWE & Netflix can be flexible with time.