Pat McAfee is making his highly anticipated return to WWE commentary, just in time for RAW’s debut on Netflix this January. The charismatic broadcaster, who stepped away in August to focus on his role with ESPN’s College GameDay, confirmed the news via Twitter following an announcement by Triple H at a Netflix media event earlier this week.
McAfee’s return reunites him with longtime commentary partner Michael Cole, a pairing fans have praised for their energy and chemistry. reflecting his excitement, McAfee wrote on X:
“An absolute honor to be asked back… A childhood dream realized every single time I’m lucky enough to be in an arena with the @WWE Universe.
Can’t wait to be talking into a microphone next to @MichaelCole again.. He’s the [GOAT].
I’m excited to tell the worldwide audience on Netflix how great the WWE Superstars are… and how big of scumbags some of ‘em are too. Let’s go.”
An absolute honor to be asked back.. A. Childhood dream realized every single time I’m lucky enough to be in an arena with the @WWE Universe.
Can’t wait to be talking into a microphone next to @MichaelCole again.. He’s the 🐐.
McAfee’s return coincides with a groundbreaking move for WWE, as RAW becomes the first weekly wrestling program to premiere on Netflix. This new platform is expected to broaden WWE’s global reach, offering fresh opportunities to connect with a diverse audience. With McAfee at the commentary table, the broadcast promises to deliver the blend of humor, passion, and sharp analysis that made him a fan favorite.
The McAfee-Cole Dynamic
McAfee’s partnership with Michael Cole has been celebrated for revitalizing WWE commentary. Cole, who has referred to McAfee as a “game-changer,” will no doubt benefit from the return of his high-energy co-host. The duo’s infectious camaraderie and knack for storytelling have added an extra layer of excitement to WWE broadcasts, making their reunion one of the most anticipated aspects of RAW’s Netflix era.
A Warm Welcome Back
Fans and Superstars alike have expressed enthusiasm for McAfee’s return, viewing his unique voice as a perfect fit for WWE’s evolving presence in the streaming world. With his trademark wit and ability to connect with audiences, McAfee’s commentary is set to elevate WWE’s Netflix debut and reintroduce viewers to the magic of Monday night wrestling.
The WWE Universe is gearing up for a major shakeup as “WWE Raw” prepares to make its highly-anticipated move to Netflix on January 6, 2025. This marks a new chapter for the flagship wrestling program, and WWE isn’t holding back in making the debut a spectacle.
The first-ever episode of Raw on Netflix will air live from the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, California. Adding to the excitement, rap superstar Travis Scott is set to appear, a moment that was teased in a big way when WWE’s Chief Content Officer Triple H made a surprise announcement alongside Scott at ComplexFest. The rapper, whose track “FIEN” was previously featured as the theme for WrestleMania 41, was even gifted a custom WWE Hardcore Championship to mark the occasion.
John Cena’s Farewell Tour Kicks Off
Adding even more star power to the debut is the return of John Cena, whose appearance is expected to kick off his much-talked-about farewell tour in 2025. WWE fans will get a chance to say goodbye to the 16-time World Champion as he embarks on what promises to be an emotional final run.
But Cena isn’t the only big name set to make waves on this historic episode. The promotional materials also showcase Roman Reigns, Cody Rhodes, and Bianca Belair, who are currently part of the SmackDown roster. This comes amidst reports of a potential roster shakeup, with Netflix reportedly expressing interest in featuring marquee talent like CM Punk as well. While it’s unclear how the rosters for Raw and SmackDown will look in 2025, it’s safe to say fans should expect some crossover and surprises as WWE adjusts to its new streaming home.
Netflix’s Big Challenge
WWE’s move to Netflix comes at a time when the platform is doubling down on live programming. Just last Friday, Netflix hosted its largest livestream yet—a headline-grabbing fight between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul. However, the event encountered streaming issues due to overwhelming demand, sparking concerns about how Netflix’s infrastructure will handle the massive audience expected for Raw’s premiere. Despite this, Netflix has assured WWE that it’s taking measures to ensure a smooth broadcast.
What This Means for WWE Fans
The Netflix premiere of Raw isn’t just a new chapter for the show—it’s an opportunity to introduce the product to a broader, global streaming audience. With major stars, a potential reshuffling of rosters, and a high-profile celebrity tie-in with Travis Scott, WWE is making a bold statement about the future of its programming.
Make sure to mark January 6, 2025, on your calendar, as WWE promises to kick off this new era with a bang. Will this new platform elevate Raw to even greater heights? We’ll find out soon enough!
WWE has announced this morning that “WWE Raw” — the promotion’s weekly flagship show — will move to Netflix in January 2025. The new long-term partnership will see the red brand show initially broadcast on the streaming platform in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Latin America. More countries will be added in the future. Additionally, Netflix will become the home of all weekly WWE shows, as well as premium live events such as WrestleMania, for international fans.
The WWE-Netflix deal is reportedly worth $5 billion over ten years. It means that WWE, owned by TKO Group Holdings, will earn $500 million a year from the new media rights agreement. “Raw’s” current deal with USA Network, which will expire in October, is said to be worth up to $260 million per year. Meanwhile, the new partnership with Netflix will see “Raw” leave linear television for the first time since the show began airing in 1993.
New Day and The Undertaker are both featured in a new WWE and Netflix interactive film set to debut in October on the streaming platform.
Don’t look now, but the Undertaker is doing more work with WWE… kind of. A new interactive horror film that will be presented on Netflix and feature both The Undertaker and New Day is set to hit the streaming platform on October 5, 2021. In it, viewers will be able to choose what path New Day takes to escape from The Deadman.
Netflix has previously jumped into the interactive film world on their platform and WWE is the latest company to partner with the streaming video service to that end. Essentially, the question of, ‘Can New escape The Undertaker?’ is asked and the entire point of the film is to help direct the WWE trio on their quest to get away and escape his haunted mansion. The house is filled with traps and challenges and you, as the viewer, get to make choices to see what happens. If you’ve ever watched a Bear Grylls show where you choose what he does out in the wild, this is like a wrestling version of that.
WWE signed a deal with Netflix back in February 2019 and at least one of their partnered productions has already aired on the service, such as “The Main Event” the featured Keith Lee, Kingston, Sheamus, The Miz, and Commander Azeez. There are also future projects in the works, such as the Vince McMahon docuseries which is set to premiere on Netflix at a later date.
As far as this New Day and Undertaker film is concerned, as per a report and some photos by Bloody Disgusting, the film is described as “The Undertaker has set a trap for the decorated tag team The New Day at his mansion. What they don’t know: The Undertaker’s mansion is an extreme Haunted House, packed to the brim with supernatural challenges. It’s up to viewers to decide the fate of these three poor souls trying to survive the wrath of The Undertaker.”
Starring Undertaker and New Day, an interactive horror movie titled Escape the Undertaker is coming to Netflix on 10/5! "The Undertaker has set a trap for The New Day at his mansion, with supernatural challenges. It’s up to viewers to decide their fate." https://t.co/v5uLQJFXm3pic.twitter.com/X76dggiBdp
WWE has confirmed that a new film on WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon is in the works.
Nick Khan, WWE’s new President & Chief Revenue Officer, noted during today’s Q3 2020 earnings call that WWE has signed a “groundbreaking new deal” with Netflix. WWE is selling the multi-part documentary that will cover Vince’s life.
The deal is groundbreaking because it is one of the highest-budgeted documentaries in Netflix history, according to Khan.
There’s no word yet on the documentary title or release date. Khan noted that Bill Simmons will executive produce the project, while Chris Smith, who directed Netflix’s Fyre Fest documentary, will produce along with WWE Studios.
This Vince documentary is not the same biopic that was first revealed back in 2017. That project was apparently nixed. Titled “Pandemonium,” the movie was expected to star Bradley Cooper as Vince. Tristar Pictures was to release the movie. The original plan was to film the movie in the spring of 2018, but that depended on several factors. The “Pandemonium” script was written by Craig A. Williams back in 2015, but it underwent several changes after WWE Studios got involved. John Requa and Glenn Ficarra were set to direct the movie, while Zaftig Films’ Charlie Gogolak was to serve as executive producer. Aperture Entertainment’s Adam Goldworn was to produce the movie, along with WWE Studios. The latest update on Pandemonium came in January 2019 when it was reported that a new draft of the movie had been completed and sent to WWE executives, including McMahon, for feedback. There was still no confirmation on Cooper accepting the role, but he had been waiting for an updated version of the script in 2018, and then was planning to make his decision. That January 2019 update stated that while the filming date of spring 2018 had passed, the project was still being actively worked on. It looks like “Pandemonium” is no more.
WWE and Netflix have officially announced their first movie together, The Main Event.
The film will star Seth Carr, Tichina Arnold, Ken Marino and Adam Pally. Several WWE Superstars will also be featured – WWE Champion Kofi Kingston, The Miz and Sheamus, among others.
Netflix noted that the logline for the movie reads, “After discovering a magical mask, an 11-year-old aspiring wrestler enters a competition to become the next WWE Superstar.”
Production on the movie begins this week in Vancouver. The movie is based on an original screenplay by Larry Postel. Jay Karas will be the director.
The Main Event is expected to premiere on Netflix in 2020 some time.
We noted before that this movie also features a reference to John Cena, who reportedly has a cameo role. WWE did not mention Cena being in the movie. It was also recently reported that Bray Wyatt is featured. There are also said to be several WWE NXT references in the script.
It was also noted that the original screenplay had the kid eating magically-powered John Cena breakfast cereal, but word now is that the most recent version of the screenplay has taken that part out, coming up with another way to give the lead character super powers. Cena was to have his cameo come late in the movie, but there’s no word yet on if that was nixed. It was speculated that Kofi may be replacing Wyatt in the updated screenplay, as Wyatt was mentioned in original reports but Kofi wasn’t. Today’s official announcement confirmed Kofi, but did not mention Wyatt.
Regarding the NXT references, PWInsider reports that the movie will feature at least one NXTevent over the course of the story. NXT Superstar Keith Lee has a role in the movie, as well as two of the NXT announcers – Mauro Ranallo and WWE Hall of Famer Beth Phoenix. It was noted that more WWE talents may be added to the movie as they get closer to filming some of the wrestling-centric scenes.
This is the first collaboration between WWE Studios and Netflix. The two companies have been working to develop new, original feature films. The projects will be directed towards family audiences.
Netflix issued the following blurb on the movie:
“The Main Event joins a growing slate of live action movies featuring kids and teens and made for families, which includes the upcoming comedy Tall Girl, A Babysitter’s Guide to Monster Hunting, and Hello, Universe, based on Erin Entrada Kelly’s Newbery Award-winning, New York Times bestselling novel.
WWE Studios is WWE’s multi-platform content division that develops and produces scripted and non-scripted series, documentaries and feature films. Recent projects include Andre the Giant, the Emmy-nominated documentary in partnership with HBO, as well as hit shows Total Divas and Total Bellas on E! and Miz & Mrs. on USA. WWE Studios also recently produced the feature film Fighting with My Family in association with MGM and Seven Bucks Productions.”
The first collaboration between WWE Studios and Netflix is scheduled to begin filming this summer, according to PWInsider. The project will shoot in Vancouver, British Columbia from late June through late August.
The movie is titled, The Main Event, and will tell the story of a 10 year old boy who is bullied, but dreams of growing up to become a WWE Superstar. The boy gets to live his dream earlier than expected when he discovers the secret to having super strength in his breakfast cereal, becoming The Spaghetti Kid.
John Cena is referenced in the movie and reportedly has a cameo role late in the film. There are also small roles for Bray Wyatt, The Miz and Sheamus. The movie also features several references to WWE NXT.
WWE Studios has been working with Netflix to develop new, original feature films. The projects will be directed towards family audiences.
There’s no word yet on when WWE will officially announce The Main Event, or their relationship with Netflix.
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