WWE Raw Start Time Shift Sparks NFL-Driven Speculation

Venue doors usually open for fans around 30–60 minutes before the broadcast starts, meaning these new times suggest WWE Raw could air at 7 p.m. ET instead of the traditional 8 p.m. ET slate.

WWE has not confirmed whether this change will carry over to Netflix broadcasts, but the company has acknowledged that Raw will return to its normal 8 p.m. slot by October 6.

Possible NFL Connection

The NFL’s weekly Monday Night Football broadcasts kick off just after 8 p.m. ET, putting Raw in direct conflict for a few weeks. There will be four MNF slates through the month of September, set to kick off at the following times:

• September 9 – Vikings at Bears (8:15 p.m. ET)
• September 15 – Buccaneers at Texans (7:00 p.m. ET)
• September 22 – Lions at Ravens (8:15 p.m. ET)
• September 29 – Jets at Dolphins (7:15 p.m. ET)

Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer noted the new schedule could allow WWE to get a one-hour head start before kickoff in a push to retain the audience and avoid direct competition against the NFL for the entire show duration.

However, it's also worth noting that Raw is now streaming exclusively on Netflix, which makes the need to avoid NFL head-to-head clashes on live TV less obvious than in the traditional TV era.

In any case, by bringing RAW up in the clock by an hour, WWE would at least avoid part of the NFL live broadcasts of MNF, allowing the wrestling promo to structure the shows in such a way to present the most enticing content first to gather as much audience as possible.