In a surprising admission, legendary announcer Jim Ross has revealed that he has not watched a single episode of WWE Monday Night Raw since the program moved exclusively to Netflix earlier this year. The long-time “Voice of Wrestling” explained that the move to a streaming-only platform has left him, a lifelong fan, unable to easily follow the show.
A Disconnected Fan
The topic of WWE’s move to streaming came up on the latest episode of Grilling JR. Ross, who has been a wrestling fan his entire life, offered a candid take on the new distribution model from his own personal experience.
“I Haven’t Gotten The App”
Ross made it clear that his decision not to watch is not a boycott, but rather a matter of accessibility. As someone who primarily watches cable television, he has not gone through the extra steps to subscribe to the streaming service.
“I think TV is here to stay for pro wrestling. I don’t really know. It’s a head scratcher to me, using myself as an example. I’m a huge wrestling fan. Have been forever. However, I’ve never watched one episode of Raw since it moved to Netflix. And not because I’m boycotting, I don’t have Netflix, and I haven’t gone to the trouble of getting it. So what happens on Monday night? I don’t, I don’t know. I read about it, I don’t see it, so I don’t know how well that’s working and using those two things as a reference. I guess we’ll see. Maybe it’ll catch on. However, I watched SmackDown on Friday night because I have access to it readily and easily on the USA Network. But I don’t have the where with it all to watch it on, to watch it on the Netflix app or the Netflix distribution area… I don’t see it being a difference maker. And I might be wrong.”
WWE’s move to Netflix was part of a landmark 10-year, multi-billion dollar deal that began in January 2025. While the company is betting on streaming as the future of its content distribution, Ross’s comments highlight the potential challenges in retaining long-time viewers who are not accustomed to the platform.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit AdFreeShows.com with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
