Reason Behind Shorter Runtime for 1/13 WWE RAW Revealed

WWE officially entered the Netflix era with the January 6th edition of Monday Night RAW and the show ran for three hours. However, the January 13th show was only two-and-a-half hours long, and now the reason behind its shorter runtime has been revealed.

Mike Johnson of PWInsider reported on why the January 13th edition of Monday Night RAW had a shorter run time of two hours and thirty minutes, instead of the usual three hours. He stated that even though Netflix provides flexibility, WWE still aims to maintain its usual structure and timing, without going beyond the set schedule just because they can.

Johnson also noted that after WWE went off the air on Monday night, they had several dark matches scheduled for the live audience in San Jose. The goal was to deliver those matches to the crowd and still wrap up the taping within a reasonable time frame. While last week’s RAW premiere was treated like a pay-per-view event, this week’s show returned to a more typical schedule.

WWE doesn’t want to extend the show unnecessarily, even if things run late, such as with Penta’s debut. The decision to keep the show shorter was also made to allow talents and staff scheduled for red-eye flights to head home earlier. Additionally, WWE wanted to avoid extra costs for venue overtime, local staff, and their own crew.

While the Netflix debut brought plenty of excitement, WWE appears to be prioritizing a balance between big moments and practical scheduling going forward, so we’ll have to see whether next week’s episode will end up having a shorter runtime as well.

Do you prefer RAW’s usual three-hour runtime, or is the shorter, more focused show a better option? Share your thoughts and let us know what you’d like to see in WWE’s Netflix era!