Latest on USA Network’s Reaction to Changes to WWE Monday Night Raw
Since Vince McMahon retired from WWE, the promotion has undergone several changes both on screen and behind the scenes.
With McMahon gone, Paul ‘Triple H‘ Levesque has replaced him as Head of Creative and replaced McMahon loyalist John Laurinaitis as Head of Talent Relations.
On-screen, there have been several returns, including Johnny Gargano, Dexter Lumis, Hit Row, Dakota Kai, Karrion Kross, and Scarlett.
For the most part, the changes made to WWE post-Vince McMahon have been met with acclaim from the fans.
According to Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful, NBC-Universal and those at the USA Network have also been pleased with the changes.
The report states that the Network is pleased that Raw viewership has improved, after a difficult few years.
Noting that the pandemic changed “everything” one source said they never imagined Raw would drop below two million viewers, particularly on a consistent basis.
Since the changes were implemented, Raw has consistently been over two million viewers.
Another source said they expect the ratings at SmackDown on FOX to increase as well.
One person from the USA Network said that Raw feels more natural, and it has become “appointment viewing,” a term for a show that people make plans to see.
Another longtime USA Network employee said that the relationship between the network and WWE has been very easygoing, but has gotten even better as of late.
That source said they would be surprised if USA didn’t try to renew WWE programming when negotiations begin next year.
