For some WWE fans, a promising evening watching Monday Night Raw instead turned into a night of Netflix and ill will.
The Netflix stream of Raw was hit with technical issues on some platforms. The issue was widespread enough to trend on social media. A blurb reading “Netflix removes rewind and restart features for live WWE Raw stream” appeared on X’s sidebar and scores of unhappy customers were voicing their concerns, to put it politely.
“Now WWE and Netflix have removed the ability to start RAW from the beginning while it’s live,” wrote Joe Negron of the Smart Fan Wrestling Podcast. “There’s no progress bar, no option to start over, all options gone. On the computer, iPhone, and iPad so far. If nobody has answers, it’s CANCELLIN’ TIME!”
Bryan Alvarez reported his own issues on X, and several frustrated viewers reported their own problems. However, while some feared this would be a permanent change, that appears to not be the case. “I am told there is a glitch on Netflix that they’re aware of and working to fix,” he reports.
One user replied that his issues had already been resolved: “Yeah mine is fixed now I can rewind or go forward like normal.”
Fans tuning into opening night of the Major League Baseball season will see an appearance by WWE World Tag Team Champions The Usos.
The 2026 MLB season begins this Wednesday when the San Francisco Giants host the New York Yankees. It will be broadcast on Netflix as the first MLB game to ever air live on the platform, and that presents an opportunity for Netflix to highlight some of its other programming. It’s been confirmed that Jimmy & Jey Uso will be appearing on the coverage as special guests.
The Usos are pulling up to Opening Night 🔥 @WWE Superstars Jey & Jimmy Uso will be special guests on #OpeningNight — the first-ever @MLB game on Netflix.
Our Bryan Alvarez first reported over the weekend that WWE was sending some of its talent to the Giants vs. Yankees game to do cross-promotion.
Since WWE began its relationship with Netflix, we’ve seen WWE wrestlers make similar appearances like Seth Rollins and CM Punk joining Netflix’s NFL coverage and Rollins being part of the broadcast team for a Netflix skyscraping special.
Netflix is the broadcast home of WWE Raw in the United States and also hosts much of WWE’s archival catalogue. Internationally, it carries a wider array of WWE content including PLEs. Those PLEs do not air on Netflix in the U.S. due to WWE’s deal with ESPN.
WWE is currently in the biggest promotional stretch of its year with WrestleMania 42 now less than a month away. On Raw tonight (March 23), The Usos have a match against Logan Paul & Austin Theory.
WWE stars are heading to the next big Netflix livestream event.
Bryan Alvarez is reporting that several stars will be in attendance for the upcoming MLB Opening Night game between the New York Yankees and the San Francisco Giants that takes place this Wednesday.
“WWE is sending talent to the Yankees game this Wednesday night which is airing on Netflix and should do a huge audience,” he writes.
Netflix has spent big money to bring in live events to the platform, including WWE Raw which airs every Monday. Along with MLB Opening Day, Netflix also recently aired popular music group BTS’ reunion show on March 21.
Netflix will also be the home of the upcoming Ronda Rousey/Gina Carano fight that takes place on May 21. Rousey has been in the news promoting the fight while also taking shots at TKO, blaming them for the match not taking place in the UFC after negotiations fell apart. She furthered the feud by making a surprise appearance at AEW Revolution last weekend, confronting Toni Storm and backing longtime friend Marina Shafir.
Kit Wilson says a new documentary on Netflix ties into his wrestling persona.
In an interview with The Independent, Wilson discussed Louis Theroux: Inside the Manosphere, which premiered earlier this month. The film explores online influencers promoting content about masculinity to young men. Wilson feels it addresses many of the same issues his character does.
Wilson said:
“I really enjoyed the documentary. And it kind of rings true to something I’m diving into, when it comes to my character in the WWE. I talk a lot about toxic masculinity, and I have a lot of problems with my fellow roster members because they are toxic!”
“Now, I don’t have a problem with masculinity and men in general. I think we should all rise up, but I do think there’s a certain problem that Louis highlighted massively. It could be due to a lack of education on the subject matter, naivety, maybe past trauma, but these men often enhance masculine personality traits.”
“I don’t know if it was in this documentary or an article I read, but Louis said their projected strengths are just compensations for their weaknesses. I think he expertly showed that in the documentary.”
He added how he views masculinity threw his WWE persona, emphasizing the importance of emotional openness.
“I view myself and the character I portray as very open to all aspects of personality – masculinity, femininity, vulnerability – and I think that openness makes us stronger as men. I think that’s true masculinity. The classic thing of ‘boys don’t cry’… You should cry; we should let these emotions out. These are healthy things. It’s like anger: I support anger, that’s a natural emotion; it’s aggression that I have a problem with.”
Wilson also spoke about the pearl necklace he wears. He discussed its significance in comparison to ‘hyper-masculine’ wrestlers wearing gold chains.
“Even with pearl necklaces,” he says, “you see a lot of hyper-masculine wrestlers wearing gold chains, and I think that can be attributed to bravado. A pearl necklace leans slightly more feminine, but I’m gonna do it in my own, powerful, masculine way.”
“I hope it can send a message. If there’s a boy or girl in the audience who wants to wear a pearl necklace and express themself… If I have a small part in someone feeling okay with expressing themselves, that’s what I’m here for.”
Wilson debuted his new entrance theme titled ‘Man Up’ on the January 2 edition of SmackDown this year which went viral. His Pretty Deadly tag team partner, Elton Prince suffered a neck injury in May 2025 and has been out of in-ring action since. Wilson’s new persona is based on calling out the “toxic masculinity” in WWE.
Former UFC star Nate Diaz is returning on the card for Netflix’s first-ever live MMA special.
It was announced today that Diaz vs. Mike Perry will take place on the undercard of Netflix’s Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano event on May 16. The show is being held at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California and will stream live for Netflix subscribers at no additional cost.
BREAKING: Nate Diaz vs. Mike Perry has officially been added to the first-ever, triple-headliner MMA event on Netflix!
They'll join the Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano card on May 16, which will also feature a showdown between Francis Ngannou and Philipe Lins.#RouseyCarano… pic.twitter.com/TXFFOLpT7S
Diaz vs. Perry will be contested at 170 pounds. It’s Diaz’s first MMA fight since 2022 and Perry’s first since 2021. Both are former UFC fighters who have tried their hand at boxing in recent years. Perry has also competed for Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship.
Netflix hyped up Diaz as a “combat sports icon” whose rivalry with Conor McGregor was the biggest box-office feud in MMA history.
“The bout adds another explosive matchup to a blockbuster triple-headliner that already includes a heavyweight clash between Francis Ngannou and Philippe Lins and a historic women’s main event between Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano,” the streaming platform wrote in a press release.
MVP Promotions — owned by Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian — is the promoter of this event. Diaz and Perry have each worked with Paul before, losing to him in boxing matches.
Bidarian thanked Netflix for believing in MVP’s and said he believes the future of MMA is bright with them working together.
“Nate Diaz is the Real BMF, and Mike Perry is the King of Violence — this will be a war from the first press conference all the way to the end when one of them has their hand raised,” Bidarian said. “It’s an absolutely massive night of fights in Los Angeles on Saturday, May 16th, as we continue building some of the biggest global events in combat sports. Thank you to Netflix for believing in our vision. The future of MMA is bright.”
To help promote the MMA card, Rousey showed up at AEW Revolution on Sunday night after her friend Marina Shafir lost to “Timeless” Toni Storm.
The card for Netflix’s first-ever live MMA special has gotten a significant injection of star power.
It was announced today that former UFC star Francis Ngannou will return to MMA on the May 16 special, facing off against Brazilian fighter Philipe Lins. It will be the co-main event that night alongside Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano. The show is taking place at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California and is being promoted by MVP Promotions, which is run by co-founders Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian.
“Francis Ngannou is unequivocally the best heavyweight MMA fighter in the world, and his addition creates star power like never before seen in the sport,” Paul and Bidarian said in a press release. “Francis is one of the most feared knockout artists the sport has ever seen, and his return to MMA instantly makes this a historic night.
“Philipe Lins is a proven champion who built his reputation the hard way against elite competition, and knows this is his chance to cement his legacy and take Brazil back to the top of the sport.”
Ngannou is a former UFC heavyweight champion but departed the company in 2023 amid a contract dispute. He later competed in boxing and had one MMA fight for the PFL. Just a few days ago, it was confirmed that Ngannou and the PFL had parted ways.
“My return to MMA demanded a stage that matched the scale of my ambition, and partnering with MVP to bring this event to Netflix ensures the entire world is watching,” Ngannou said. “I am ready for this new chapter, and I cannot wait to entertain my fans again and remind the world exactly who I am and what I am capable of delivering on the highest stage.”
Lins has fought for the UFC, PFL, and Bellator during his MMA career.
The May 16 event will stream live for Netflix subscribers at no additional cost. A press conference to hype up the card is set to take place this Tuesday (March 10).
Dave Meltzer and Garrett Gonzales are back on Wrestling Observer Radio discussing the major stories from today’s issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
Netflix has announced it will not increase its offer to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery.
Earlier this week, WBD said in a press release that it had received a revised offer from Paramount Skydance that it determined was “superior” to Netflix’s existing deal, triggering a four-business-day window for Netflix to match or improve its bid.
In a press release issued Thursday, Netflix confirmed it is declining to raise its offer, with co-CEOs Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters stating:
“The transaction we negotiated would have created shareholder value with a clear path to regulatory approval. However, we’ve always been disciplined, and at the price required to match Paramount Skydance’s latest offer, the deal is no longer financially attractive, so we are declining to match the Paramount Skydance bid.
Warner Bros. is a world-class organization, and we want to thank David Zaslav, Gunnar Wiedenfels, Bruce Campbell, Brad Singer and the WBD Board for running a fair and rigorous process. We believe we would have been strong stewards of Warner Bros.’ iconic brands, and that our deal would have strengthened the entertainment industry and preserved and created more production jobs in the U.S. But this transaction was always a ‘nice to have’ at the right price, not a ‘must have’ at any price.
Netflix’s business is healthy, strong and growing organically, powered by our slate and best-in-class streaming service. This year, we’ll invest approximately $20 billion in quality films and series and will expand our entertainment offering. Consistent with our capital allocation policy, we’ll also resume our share repurchase program.
We will continue to do what we’ve done for more than 20 years as a public company: delight our members, profitably grow our business, and drive long-term shareholder value.“
Ronda Rousey says it is “no longer in the UFC’s best interest to put on the best fights possible.”
Rousey was a guest on The Jim Rome Show on Friday and was asked why the UFC is not promoting her fight with Gina Carano. Rousey responded that she had originally worked out a deal with Dana White that would have made her more money per pay-per-view buy than any other fighter in history. However, she said the company was unwilling to guarantee her the money she believed she deserved once the pay-per-view structure shifted amid its streaming deal with ESPN.
Rousey said:
“I went to (Dana White) and said, ‘Dude, you always say that I’m the best fighter you ever worked with. Like, reward me for it. Don’t punish me for being easy to work with. Give me the best deal you ever gave anybody.'”
“He came back and he literally brought me the a deal where I would make more per pay-per-view buy than anybody in history.”
“It happened to go to the other side of when ESPN deal and their pay-per-view model would be ending and they would be going to streaming.”
“They didn’t want to set a precedent of giving me the guaranteed money that I deserve because once I raise that tide it lifts all the boats.”
“It’s in their best interest actually not to put on the best fights possible, but to spend as little as money as possible so that they can keep it.”
Rousey added that the UFC is focused on “the most cost effective fights possible” rather than “putting on the best fights possible,” which she said led her to explore other options for the Carano fight.
“It no longer made sense for for me to go over there because they didn’t want to pay us the money that we deserve because then for the rest of the the time of the deal, they’re going to have to pay everybody else more. And so then I decided to look elsewhere.”
Rousey vs. Carano is scheduled for Saturday, May 16, 2026, at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. The event is being promoted by Most Valuable Promotions and will stream live on Netflix.
Rousey’s full appearance on The Jim Rome Show is available below, with the video queued to her comments about the negotiations with Dana White and the UFC.
Nearly a decade after her final UFC fight, Ronda Rousey is returning to mixed martial arts.
Women’s MMA legends Rousey and Gina Carano will face off for the first time ever on Saturday, May 16. The superfight is being held in Inglewood, California at the Intuit Dome and will stream live on Netflix, marking the first time the streaming giant has ever aired a live MMA event. MVP Promotions (founded by Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian) and Netflix are partnering together for the fight.
Rousey last competed in MMA when she lost to Amanda Nunes at UFC 207 in December 2016. She then transitioned over to pro wrestling for WWE and has recently been pursuing a career as a writer. Facing Carano is a dream fight that Rousey has wanted for a long time.
“Been waiting so long to announce this,” Rousey said in a press release. “Me and Gina Carano are gonna throw down in the biggest superfight in women’s combat sport history, and we’re partnering with the fighter-first promoter, MVP, as well as the baddest streamer on the planet, Netflix. This is for all MMA fans past, present, and future.”
The fight will be held inside of a hexagon cage and will be professionally sanctioned with five rounds of five minutes each. Rousey and Carano will fight at featherweight (145 pounds).
Like with Netflix’s boxing specials, this event will be available for all Netflix subscribers at no additional charge.
“After the record-breaking success in boxing, we wanted our first MMA event to be truly legendary,” said Netflix VP of Sports Gabe Spitzer. “These are more than just athletes — they are generational stars, and having them headline our MMA debut at the Intuit Dome is a defining moment for us.”
Rousey getting back into combat sports had been rumored in recent months, with speculation centered around either an MMA fight against Carano or boxing match against Katie Taylor.
“Ronda came to me and said there is only one person she would make a comeback for, and it’s been her dream to make this fight happen between us,” Carano said. “She thanked me for opening up doors for her career and was respectful in asking for this fight to happen. This is an honor. I believe I will walk out of this fight with the win, and I anticipate it will not come easy, which I welcome. This is as much for Ronda and I as it is for the fans and mixed martial arts community. What a time to be alive.”
On a snowed in edition of Josh Nason’s Punch-Out, warm up by the podcast fire with the returning John Pollock of Post Wrestling.
The guys talk for nearly an hour on what they learned about wrestling in 2025 with some hot takes about WWE, AEW, wrestlers, leadership and even some Linkin Park. (Yes, that Linkin Park.)
For example: Is TKO good for WWE and pro wrestling? Is WBD as good a partner to AEW as Netflix is for WWE? What is happening with DWAYNE and Triple H? Why are the rosters so damn bloated in the middle?
In their research, they surmised that because AEW wasn’t specifically mentioned in the document that after the deal is done, AEW programming, including PPVs, are expected to continue streaming/simulcasting on HBO Max through the end of their current contract which ends in 2027 or 2028 if their one-year option is picked up.
Other secondary WB rights were mentioned in the document including Turner Classic Movies.
They opined that AEW would likely join the Turner Sports streaming app that would be operated by Global Linear Networks (GLN), the company that would hold all the assets not being taken by Netflix. However, they also speculated that some kind of non-exclusive arrangement could be cut where both HBO Max and Turner Sports air AEW events in some form or fashion. All of this would be assuming AEW remains with the GLN entity after the current deal is up.
The report confirmed that WBD owns a minority stake in AEW which will remain with GLN post-Netflix sale. The stake in AEW would have to be less than 10% or else WBD would need to publicly disclose that information. AEW head Tony Khan has been asked to confirm this before and while he has never done that, he has also never denied it.
The writer also provided another opinion that Netflix/HBO Max would probably not fight to keep AEW, perhaps due to an unconfirmed non-compete clause TKO incorporated into their Netflix deal — “a relic of the old days.”
Their research also noted that WWE programming airs on GLN owned networks in Italy and that according to projections, Netflix will hold UFC rights in Italy, San Marino, Spain, Andorra, the Netherlands and Vatican City in the next 12-to-18 months.
*The changes in the WrestleMania plans, the Drew McIntyre title win, Roman Reigns return and the whys.
*WWE getting Will Hobbs while AEW signs a slew of new talent as well. A look at each case-by-case.
*Notes on the big weekend coming to Mexico City
*Kayla Harrison injury and what is the future for the biggest women’s fight in years
*Win-loss records and total bouts for all top WWE/NXT talent in 2025
*WWE Iron Man winner from 1984-2025
*What cutting back on the schedule has taught us about injuries
*Who gets protected in booking and who doesn’t
*The problem with the current schedule and development of young talent
*A star who has been around through various eras talks timing and injuries and best schedule
*A look at TNA’s debut on AMC, what went right and wrong
*When did wrestling start being a work. Studying of history shows it’s a lot earlier than you would think
*Odds for WWE matches upcoming
*The most detailed look at the ratings of all the pro wrestling shows this past week, as well as comparisons with the past and a look at the level of declines and why
*What wrestler has already main evented 12 sold out shows in 2026
*One woman wrestler announces retirement and another retires
*Kazuchika Okada in Japan
*Most watched New Japan World matches of 2025
*Ted DiBiase Jr. on trial
*Death of Rick Link, from fan clubs to main events
*Jesse Ventura speaks about the current political environment
*The greatest wrestler in the world signs with Eric Bischoff’s promotionT
*Tons of major independent shows coming
*AEW gets TV in new market
*Ticket sales for upcoming WWE, AEW and TNA events
While promoting a match against Danhausen for February 20 in Michigan, Jake Doyle wrote on social media that he has two more shows left as Jake Something.
Maple Leaf Pro announced that they have signed a broadcast partnership with Fight Nation. Starting in February, their events will be broadcast on the channel.
TNA has revealed on-sale pre-sale plans for upcoming events in Nashville, Atlanta, and New Orleans. General sale starts this coming Monday, January 26.
After returning to the global top ten last week for the first time since early-December, the Monday, January 12 episode of WWE Raw on Netflix didn’t make the list according to Tudum.
The tenth-ranked show (Marcello Hernandez: American Boy) finished with 2.5 million global views, setting the benchmark. Stranger Things’ five seasons continued to take up half of the list while the new thriller limited series His & Hers debuted with 29.5 million global views to take the top spot.
Of note, the show aired at 2 pm Eastern in the U.S. as WWE continued their overseas tour and featured a first time ever match between Gunther and AJ Styles.
Since November 17, 2025, Raw has made the global top ten just twice: December 8 and January 5.
**********
On Tuesday, Netflix released their quarterly earnings and stated they had more than 325 million subscribers to close 2025 with $45 billion in sales for the year. That is 25 million more subscribers than they ended 2024 with.
They revealed they will spend $20 billion on programming in 2026 which is a 10% jump from 2025 even as they are attempting to close the much-discussed deal to buy Warner Bros. that will also add costs to their bottom line.
Shares dipped by 2% in after-hours trading to $85.
Earlier on Tuesday, WBD announces that Netflix will be amending their offer to purchase the WB studios, DC, HBO and HBO Max, and other assets to be all cash in a further effort to fend off Paramount Skydance’s efforts to buy the entirety of the company which includes the cable networks.
Season two of “WWE: Unreal” arrived on Netflix today — and we already know when the show will be back with new episodes.
The final episode of the new season closed with the announcement that “Unreal” has been renewed for season three. It will debut in summer 2026, with John Cena’s retirement run set to be a heavy focus. An exact premiere date will be announced in the coming months.
Brock Lesnar returning and attacking Cena is the last thing we see in season two. A teaser then airs announcing that Cena’s final run will be showcased in season three.
“We had a pretty f***ing good year,” Cena says to Paul “Triple H” Levesque.
“Pretty awesome,” Levesque responds.
Among the other clips included in the teaser is Levesque telling the writers’ room that the most important thing for the December 13 Saturday Night’s Main Event episode — where Cena retired against Gunther — was making sure everything went perfect for Cena. There is also a clip of CM Punk and Cody Rhodes in the ring with Cena after his final match where Punk tells Cena that he loves him.
The “Unreal” docuseries is produced by WWE, Omaha Productions, NFL Films, and Skydance Sports. Seasons one and two each consisted of five episodes. Each episode is roughly 50-60 minutes.
