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WWE Raw shifts back to two hours for the rest of 2024 starting on October 7

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WWE Raw shifts back to two hours for the rest of 2024 starting on October 7

As a longtime WWE fan who has witnessed the highs and lows of Raw over the past decade and a half, this news about the show shortening to two hours is certainly intriguing. For years, I’ve grumbled about the lackluster programming during those three-hour stretches, so cutting back seems like a step in the right direction.

On Monday, September 9, significant news was revealed: Starting from October 7, WWE Raw will extend to a two-hour broadcast every week, lasting until the end of 2024. This substantial modification in the show’s schedule is expected to impact various aspects in diverse ways.

Since 2012, WWE Raw has consistently run for three hours. This change took effect during their 1,000th episode on July 23 of that year. While initially seen as a strength, this extended duration soon became one of the most frequent criticisms. Over the past ten to fifteen years, many viewers have felt that the programming has been lackluster. Despite having three hours, creative leadership under Vince McMahon failed to deliver quality content. In fact, it appeared that the longer the show ran, the worse the quality became.

However, shifting back to two hours will create another set of challenges. WWE has a stacked roster of performers, but there are several talented members of the roster who struggle to get time on television. As the show features more wrestling each week, that leaves less time to be divided out among the group. It will be interesting to see how this challenge is tackled and who will get ample time on the show.

Beyond this point, discussions revolve around what changes might occur when the show moves to Netflix in January 2025. Will it revert to a three-hour format as on traditional television? Given that Netflix is a streaming service, how might this affect potential alterations to the total runtime? Additionally, there’s curiosity about the advertising revenue linked to the third hour. These are thought-provoking queries that need careful consideration in the time ahead.

This change in programming strategy also reflects the strong financial position of WWE. The third hour of their television broadcast is primarily funded through adverts and sponsorships, and hence, eliminating it means losing the revenue generated during that time. Despite the global COVID-19 pandemic, WWE has reported record-breaking financial growth, a trend that persists even today. With such robust earnings, they can afford to forego this revenue for nearly an entire quarter as they prepare to move to Netflix.

WWE is still surging forward, with victories stacking up almost every month. The unexpected announcement to return to a two-hour format for the rest of 2024 has left the industry in a state of intrigue, as the consequences are set to be fascinatingly unveiled.

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2024-09-10 15:15

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