WWE’s Creative Stays In-House as Triple H Pushes Back on Netflix Control Talk

WWE might be streaming on Netflix now, but don’t get it twisted—when it comes to the action, storylines, and who gets pushed, it’s still WWE’s house.

As the company wrapped a huge episode of Monday Night RAW from London’s O2 Arena, WWE’s Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque made one thing crystal clear: Netflix might hold the streaming rights, but they’re not pulling any creative strings.

“We create the superstars, we create the storylines. We do all of that and the world watches,” Triple H told BBC Newsbeat. He compared the situation to sports, saying, “Someone doesn’t tell the NFL how football’s played. They distribute our product.”

The deal, which kicked off in January and is reportedly worth over $5 billion, has sent WWE ratings soaring—RAW has landed in Netflix’s UK Top 10 for nine out of the last ten weeks. But according to Triple H, the only input Netflix has is “how long the show is, when we go off air, or what time we’re on air.”

The streaming giant is now the home for all of WWE’s weekly programming outside the U.S., including RAW, SmackDown, NXT, and pay-per-view events like Royal Rumble and SummerSlam. But when it comes to the stories fans care about—like John Cena’s shocking heel turn or Cody Rhodes’ rise to the top—it’s still all WWE.

Cena’s farewell tour is already a major draw as WrestleMania 41 approaches. “Physically, I can’t do this anymore,” he reportedly told Triple H, who revealed Cena wanted to spend his final year “thanking everyone” and exploring new creative ground—including turning heel after two decades as WWE’s ultimate good guy.

And while Cena is back in full villain mode, Cody Rhodes isn’t backing down. “I’m not wrestling John Cena. John Cena’s wrestling me,” he said, leaning into his role as the face of WWE’s next generation.

Meanwhile, WWE’s global reach continues to grow. London also hosted WWE’s latest tryouts, with young talent like 23-year-old Hannah Foster hoping to be part of the next wave. “I want to show girls that they can be strong and powerful,” she said. “Before I thought this was more of a men’s sport.”

So no, Netflix doesn’t script the storylines—but it’s clear WWE is writing its next chapter for the world to watch.