Recently released viewership data from Netflix confirms thatWWEfans who criticizedWrestleMania 41may have to rethink their opinion. The biggest PLE of the year for the company, this year’s WrestleMania garnered its fair share of criticism, especially due to a controversial ending of the show, which sawJohn Cena beat Cody Rhodes with the help of rapper Travis Scottto win his historic 17th World Championship.
However, this controversy and the online backlash that followed did not stop viewers from showing up on Netflix the following night to watchMonday Night Raw, asthe show registered record streaming numbers, proving that the current WWE is a juggernaut that keeps moving even when, according to some fans, it misses the target.
New Netflix Data Shows Huge Viewership for Post-WrestleMania 41 Raw
According to Netflix data, shared online by commentators and experts such as Raj Giri, theMonday Night RawafterWrestleMania 41scored the best viewership since the week when the show debuted on the streaming giant.Rawscored 3,6 million viewers, with the total hours streamed during the week 8,7 million. Additionally, the show ranked #3 for the week on Netflix in the U.S. and #5 globally, a really respectable achievement for a “niche” product such as pro wrestling.
These numbers seem to confirm that WWE’s decision to move to Netflix was correct, as the viewership is much higher compared to whatRawwas getting on USA Network, where the final show before the big move had 1,596 million viewers. It’s hard to translate ratings, regardless of what platform they are from, into profitability and success in the age of streaming and social media, but WWE’s Netflix numbers remain impressive.
WrestleMania 41’s Success on Netflix Contrasts with Booking Criticism
What’s most interesting, perhaps, is thatthese numbers seem to contradict the wave of criticism that followedWrestleMania 41, mostly directed at the booking of the show.Fans especially took offense at the absence of The Rock, who kickstarted the big story of John Cena turning heel, only to not appear at the Showcase of Immortals. Having Cena win his 17th championship with the help of a celebrity was also seen as a bad choice by many fans, but it seems that it still garnered enough interest to make people tune in the night after.
It must be said, however, that theMonday Night Rawafter WrestleMania is always one of the most successful of the year. This is where new storylines start, new champions make their opening statements, and in many regards, it functions like a season premiere. It will be interesting to see if the next episode ofRaw on Netflixwill garner similar viewership numbers, which would confirm that WWE’s booking forWrestleMania 41wasn’t that bad after all.
