WWE Monday Night Raw will be moving to an earlier start time for three consecutive weeks beginning next Monday, September 15, in what is being described as a strategic experiment by WWE and its broadcast partner, Netflix. The flagship show, which has traditionally aired at 8 p.m. ET for decades, will shift to a 7 p.m. ET start time for the episodes on September 15, September 22, and September 29, before returning to its regular slot in October. WrestlingNews.co first reported about the change with more details later confirmed by other outlets
According to a report from WrestleVotes, the decision for the temporary time change was made to test how the show performs against its biggest seasonal competition: the NFL’s Monday Night Football. “According to a source, this decision was made some time ago as WWE and Netflix want to see how the show performs with an earlier start-up against Monday Night Football,” the report stated. With Raw’s new home on Netflix providing more scheduling flexibility than traditional cable, the companies are using this opportunity to gather data on viewership patterns.
The experiment is particularly strategic as on two of the three Mondays with the earlier start time, ESPN will be airing Monday Night Football doubleheaders, with the first game of the night kicking off at 7:15 p.m. ET. A source cited in the WrestleVotes report called the schedule change a “smart one” for WWE, as the one-hour head start means Raw’s main event should be concluding “before the crunch time in the NFL action”. This scheduling prevents a direct conflict for viewers during the most critical moments of the football games, which has historically impacted Raw’s viewership.
On today’s Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer confirmed the move is an experiment, noting that the flexibility of the Netflix platform allows for such tests without the rigid constraints of linear TV. WrestlingNews.co initially reported that start times on tickets for the live events on those dates had been moved up, signaling a change in the broadcast schedule.
This three-week test is another example of the fluid nature of WWE’s programming schedule since the landmark move to Netflix in January 2025. The company has already aired several episodes of Raw with special afternoon start times for international events in locations like England, France, and Australia. This experiment will provide valuable data for WWE and Netflix as they determine the optimal permanent time slot for their flagship weekly program moving forward.
