History of WWE Raw in Timeline
WWE Raw, a professional wrestling television program produced by WWE, airs live every Monday on Netflix. It features wrestlers from the Raw brand. Debuting on January 11, 1993, it's considered one of WWE's flagship programs alongside Friday Night SmackDown.
January 11, 1993: Raw Debut
On January 11, 1993, WWE Raw, an American professional wrestling television program produced by WWE, debuted. The show airs live every Monday and is considered one of WWE's flagship programs.
April 1993: Raw Taped in Poughkeepsie
In April 1993, the WWF taped several weeks' worth of Raw episodes from the Mid-Hudson Civic Center in Poughkeepsie, New York.
November 1993: First Episode Outside of New York
In November 1993, the first episode of Raw produced outside of New York was taped in Bushkill, Pennsylvania.
September 11, 1995: Raw and Nitro Go Head-to-Head
On September 11, 1995, Raw and Nitro went head-to-head for the first time, starting the ratings war.
1995: Raw on The Sports Network (TSN)
In 1995, Raw was broadcasted on The Sports Network (TSN) in Canada.
1995: Entrance Way Changed
In 1995, the entrance way for Raw was changed to feature "Raw" in giant letters.
1996: Nitro Begins Ratings Win-Streak
Beginning in mid-1996, Nitro started a ratings win-streak that lasted for 84 consecutive weeks due to the nWo angle.
February 3, 1997: Raw Expands to Two-Hour Format
On February 3, 1997, Raw went to a two-hour format to compete with the extra hour on Nitro.
March 10, 1997: Raw Split into Two Hour-Long Blocks
Beginning on March 10, 1997, broadcasts of Raw were split into two hour-long blocks, with the first hour called Raw Is War and the second called War Zone.
March 31, 1997: New theme song
On March 31, 1997, the rock and roll outro of "Thorn In Your Eye" featuring Scott Ian of Anthrax became the theme song for Raw.
June 9, 1997: On-Screen Graphics Reflect Changes
Beginning with the June 9, 1997, episode, the show's on-screen graphics reflected the split into Raw Is War and War Zone.
November 24, 1997: War Zone Receives Distinct Opening Video
On November 24, 1997, the War Zone hour of Raw received its own distinct opening video.
1997: Raw on the Road
By 1997, Raw left the Manhattan Center permanently as the show would be taken on the road throughout the United States and had in smaller venues.
1997: Ring-Ropes Changed to Red
In 1997, the WWF changed the color of the ring-ropes to red and began printing Raw Is War along the ring.
1997: TitanTron absent since 1997
Since 1997, the TitanTron had been part of the Raw staging until it's absence on July 25, 2016.
March 1998: WWF Regains Lead in Monday Night War
After WrestleMania XIV in March 1998, the WWF regained the lead in the Monday Night War with its new "WWF Attitude" brand.
April 13, 1998: Raw Is War Wins Ratings Battle
On April 13, 1998, the episode of Raw Is War headlined by Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. Vince McMahon, marked the first time that Nitro had lost the head-to-head Monday night ratings battle in 84 weeks.
January 4, 1999: Mankind Wins WWF Championship
On January 4, 1999, Mick Foley, as Mankind, won the WWF Championship on Raw Is War. Tony Schiavone spoiled this on Nitro, resulting in viewers switching to Raw to see it happen.
1999: WWF.com Logo Added to TitanTron
By 1999, the WWF placed a "WWF.com: 'Download This!'" logo on the bottom of the TitanTron and added two vertical sides on the stage along with a USA Network logo on top of the TitanTron.
June 28, 2000: Viacom Wins Deal with WWF
On June 28, 2000, Viacom won the deal to move all of WWF's programs from USA Network.
September 2000: Raw Moves to TNN
In September 2000, Raw moved from the USA Network to TNN (The Nashville Network) television channel.
September 25, 2000: Raw Is War Premieres on TNN
On September 25, 2000, Raw Is War premiered on TNN.
December 11, 2000: TNN Logo Added to TitanTron
On the December 11, 2000 episode, the TNN network logo was added atop the TitanTron.
March 2001: WWF Purchases WCW
In March 2001, the WWF purchased selected WCW assets for $3 million due to WCW's decline.
March 26, 2001: Final Episode of Nitro Airs
On March 26, 2001, the final episode of Nitro aired, featuring a simulcast with Raw and an appearance by Shane McMahon, who revealed he owned WCW.
July 2, 2001: Chyron Graphics Added
Chyron graphics were added to the bottom of the screen beginning with the July 2, 2001 episode.
October 1, 2001: Raw Is War Retitled as Raw
On October 1, 2001, Raw Is War was retitled as Raw, permanently retiring the moniker in prelude to the United States invasion of Afghanistan.
March 2002: WWF Institutes Brand Extension
In March 2002, due to an overabundance of talent, WWF instituted the "brand extension," treating Raw and SmackDown! as distinct divisions.
March 25, 2002: End of theme song era
On March 25, 2002, the theme song "Thorn In Your Eye" featuring Scott Ian of Anthrax was replaced.
April 1, 2002: New Raw theme song
On April 1, 2002, "Across The Nation" by The Union Underground became the theme song for Raw.
2002: New set design
In 2002, Raw introduced a new set designed by Jason Robinson featuring a larger TitanTron that was 55 feet wide by 25 feet tall, weighed about 4,000 pounds, and required three 18,000-watt projector screens.
2002: Announce Table design change
To differentiate the presentation from SmackDown, since January 6, 2025, Raw introduced a new announce table featuring sets of a LED lights with the WWE logo on a centre, which is a major change to the announce table design since the first brand extension of 2002.
August 11, 2003: Spike TV Logo Debut
On August 11, 2003, the Spike TV logo replaced the TNN logo on the bottom side of the TitanTron after the network's relaunch.
August 2003: TNN Rebrands to Spike TV
In August 2003, TNN, the channel broadcasting Raw, rebranded to Spike TV.
2003: Camera cost in Raw
In 2003, according to Eric Bischoff on WWE Confidential, the show utilized 13 cameras at a cost of $85,000.
2003: Raw Aired in Australia
Since 2003, Raw had been airing in Australia on Fox8, usually on a 27-hour tape delay.
March 10, 2005: Viacom and WWE End Agreement
On March 10, 2005, Viacom and WWE decided not to continue their agreement with Spike TV, ending Raw's tenure on the channel.
April 4, 2005: WWE Announces Deal with NBCUniversal
On April 4, 2005, WWE announced a deal with NBCUniversal to bring Raw back to USA Network.
September 2005: Raw Leaves Spike TV
In September 2005, Raw's deal with Spike TV expired.
October 3, 2005: Raw Returns to USA Network
On October 3, 2005, Raw returned to the USA Network after a period on TNN/Spike TV.
2005: Announce Table move since 2005
In 2005, it was the last time before July 25, 2016 that the announce table had been moved to the top of the stage.
October 2, 2006: End of theme song era
On October 2, 2006, the theme song "Across The Nation" by The Union Underground was replaced.
October 9, 2006: New logo and theme song
On October 9, 2006, Raw debuted a new logo and opening intro featuring "...To Be Loved" by Papa Roach as its theme song.
2006: Raw moves to The Score
In 2006, Raw moved from The Sports Network (TSN) to The Score because TSN started broadcasting Monday Night Football.
2006: Logo Used From 2006
In 2006, the WWE created a logo for Raw that was used from 2006 to 2012, and later became the subject of legal action against Raw Motors in June 2017.
January 21, 2008: Raw broadcasts in high-definition
On January 21, 2008, Raw began broadcasting in high-definition.
June 18, 2008: Canadian Intellectual Property Office Decision
On June 18, 2008, the Canadian Intellectual Property Office found certain wares listed in WWE's trademark application confusingly similar to Muscle Flex's "In the Raw" trademark.
June 2009: Raw name disputed
In June 2009, Muscle Flex Inc. took legal action against WWE, disputing the name for Raw, after a court ruled that some of WWE's trademarks related to Raw were similar enough to the In the Raw trademark.
July 20, 2009: Muscle Flex Inc. press release
On July 20, 2009, Muscle Flex Inc. issued a press release disclosing its possession of WWE Raw-labeled items believed to infringe on its "In the Raw" trademark.
August 2009: Court rules in favor of Muscle Flex, Inc.
In August 2009, the court ruled in favor of Muscle Flex, Inc. in defending its "In the Raw" trademark against WWE.
November 9, 2009: Logo and intro retained
On November 9, 2009, the logo and intro that debuted on October 9, 2006, were retained, marking the end of that era.
November 16, 2009: New theme song
On November 16, 2009, the theme song for the Raw brand became "Burn It to the Ground" by Nickelback.
2009: Raw shown on CKVR-TV and CKMI-TV until 2009
Raw was broadcasted on CKVR-TV in Barrie and CKMI-TV in Quebec until 2009.
2010: Rope color change
In 2010, WWE retired the red ropes for Raw after thirteen years for an all-white scheme.
August 29, 2011: Brand Extension Dissolved
On August 29, 2011, it was announced that performers from Raw and SmackDown were no longer exclusive to their respective brands, effectively dissolving the brand extension.
May 17, 2012: Raw to switch to a three-hour format
On May 17, 2012, WWE and USA Network announced that Raw would switch to a permanent three-hour format beginning with the 1,000th episode on July 23, 2012.
July 16, 2012: End of theme song era
On July 16, 2012, "Burn It to the Ground" by Nickelback stopped being the theme song for the Raw brand.
July 23, 2012: Raw Airs 1,000th Episode
On July 23, 2012, Raw aired its 1,000th episode, marking the beginning of its permanent three-hour format.
September 24, 2012: Hulu Multi-Year Deal
On September 24, 2012, Hulu signed a multi-year deal with WWE to stream all of the company's TV shows and some of its web series, including Raw.
October 2012: Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Throughout October 2012, the middle rope at all WWE programming was changed to pink due to WWE's alliance with the Susan G. Komen organization for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
2012: Logo Used Until 2012
In 2012, the WWE used a logo for Raw that was used from 2006 to 2012, and later became the subject of legal action against Raw Motors in June 2017.
2012: SummerSlam 2012 Set Inspiration
In 2012, the new HD set and graphics were debuted on July 25, 2016 and were almost identical to the set used for SummerSlam 2012.
January 14, 2013: Raw Celebrates 20th Anniversary
On January 14, 2013, Raw celebrated its 20th year on the air.
May 2013: Raw Shown Live on The Score
In May 2013, The Score began airing Raw live to match the United States airtime, discontinuing Countdown to Raw.
2013: Breast Cancer Awareness Month
In 2013, from late September to early November, the middle rope at all WWE programming was changed to pink due to WWE's alliance with the Susan G. Komen organization for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
2013: SummerSlam 2013 Set Inspiration
In 2013, the new HD set and graphics were debuted on July 25, 2016 and were almost identical to the set used for SummerSlam 2013.
February 4, 2014: Raw airs live in Australia
Since February 4, 2014, Raw has been airing live in Australia on Fox8.
August 18, 2014: Widescreen presentation and updated graphics
On August 18, 2014, Raw switched to a full 16:9 letterbox widescreen presentation, updated its graphics package with the new WWE logo, and modified its theme song ("The Night").
October 6, 2014: Raw live in Latin America
Since October 6, 2014, Raw has been airing live throughout Latin America on Fox Sports.
2014: Pay-per-views and Breast Cancer Awareness
In 2014, beginning in mid-2014, the current set would also be featured in pay-per-views, and from September 29, 2014, the middle rope at all WWE programming was changed to pink due to WWE's alliance with the Susan G. Komen organization for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
March 23, 2015: LED board added to ring
On March 23, 2015, WWE added a small LED board to the left side of the ring on Raw, which was also used at WrestleMania 31.
September 14, 2015: Gold middle rope
On September 14, 2015, the season premiere of Raw featured a gold middle rope.
October 2015: Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Throughout October 2015, Raw partnered with Susan G. Komen for the Cure to promote Breast Cancer Awareness Month, featuring various stage elements in pink.
November 13, 2015: Paris Terrorist Attack
On November 13, 2015, a terrorist attack in Paris, France, occurred, leading to a moment of silence on the November 16th episode of Raw.
May 20, 2016: Syfy airs Raw replays
Since May 20, 2016, Syfy in the United States started airing a 2-hour replay of Raw.
May 25, 2016: Brand Split Reintroduced
On May 25, 2016, WWE reintroduced the brand split, along with a new set used at SummerSlam. The broadcast table was moved to the entrance ramp similar to how it was in 2002–2005.
July 25, 2016: New HD set and graphics debuted
On July 25, 2016, the ropes returned to red, the announce table moved back to the top of the stage for the first time since 2005, and a new HD set and graphics were debuted, which were almost identical to the set used for SummerSlam 2012 and 2013.
December 9, 2016: Raw on WWE Network
As of December 9, 2016, all episodes of Raw are available on demand on the WWE Network.
2016: Raw episodes on YouTube
In 2016, after WrestleMania 32, WWE began airing new episodes of Raw on YouTube for countries without traditional TV broadcasts of WWE programming, less than 24 hours after the original broadcast.
2016: Two-Hour Raw on Syfy
Since 2016, the two-hour version of that week's Raw has aired on Syfy when preempted by the U.S. Open.
June 2017: WWE Legal Action Against Raw Motors
In June 2017, WWE issued a legal order to Raw Motors, an automobile repair company in Colwick, UK, over a logo that WWE claimed infringed on one of its logos for Raw used from 2006 to 2012.
2017: Raw Airs on S Sport and S Sport Plus in Turkey
In 2017, Raw began airing on S Sport and S Sport Plus in Turkey.
2017: e.tv decides not to renew broadcasting deal with WWE.
In 2017, e.tv decided not to renew its broadcasting deal with WWE for Raw and other WWE shows. Raw would play on Sundays in the evening, with a 7-day delay, edited to one hour.
January 29, 2018: New graphics and updated logo introduced
On the January 29, 2018 episode of Raw, new graphics and an updated logo were introduced.
June 26, 2018: WWE and USA Network contract extension
On June 26, 2018, WWE and USA Network announced a five-year contract extension for Raw, commencing in October 2019.
September 23, 2019: End of logo era
On September 23, 2019, the graphics and logo introduced on January 29, 2018, were retired.
October 2019: Contract Extension Commences
In October 2019, WWE's five-year contract extension with USA Network for Raw commenced.
2019: WWE Channel on DStv
In 2019, SuperSport and MultiChoice signed a deal to broadcast the 24-hour WWE channel as a pop-up channel for five months on their DStv platform.
2019: Updated Version of the 2019 Logo
In 2019, an updated version of the logo was introduced on November 22 of that year, alongside new graphics.
January 2020: TNT Sports deal
Since January 2020, Raw is shown live on TNT Sports in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
August 18, 2020: Raw Moves to WWE ThunderDome
From August 18, 2020, all WWE programming was moved to the new, state-of-the-art WWE ThunderDome inside of the Amway Center in Orlando.
April 5, 2021: WWE Network Content Moves to Peacock
On April 5, 2021, WWE Network ceased operations in the United States, with all content moving to Peacock streaming service.
May 21, 2021: WWE Announces Return to Live Fans
On May 21, 2021, WWE announced that they would return in front of live fans with a 25 city tour.
July 12, 2021: Final WWE ThunderDome Show
The July 12, 2021 edition of Raw was the final WWE ThunderDome show.
September 2021: Ring-rope color change
In September 2021, the ring-ropes on Raw changed color from red to white.
February 2022: Raw Temporarily Moved to Syfy
In February 2022, Raw temporarily moved to Syfy for two episodes due to USA's coverage of the 2022 Winter Olympics.
January 23, 2023: RAW IS XXX
On January 23, 2023, Raw celebrated its thirtieth anniversary with RAW IS XXX.
September 2023: SmackDown Returns to USA Network
In September 2023, USA Network announced that SmackDown would return to the network in October 2024 after its contract with Fox expired.
November 20, 2023: New Theme Song: 'Born to Be'
On November 20, 2023, Raw's theme song was changed to "Born to Be" by def rebel, performed by Supreme Madness.
2023: End of Raw on S Sport and S Sport Plus in Turkey
In 2023, Raw stopped airing on S Sport and S Sport Plus in Turkey.
January 23, 2024: Netflix to Acquire Rights to Raw
On January 23, 2024, TKO Group announced that Netflix would acquire the rights to Raw beginning in January 2025 in a 10-year deal.
August 2024: Temporary Move to Syfy for Summer Olympics
In August 2024, Raw had a similar arrangement and moved to Syfy due to USA Network broadcasting coverage of the 2024 Summer Olympics.
October 2024: Raw Shortened to Two Hours
In October 2024, Raw was shortened from three to two hours at the request of USA Network.
October 2024: SmackDown to return to USA Network
In October 2024, SmackDown is scheduled to return to USA Network.
December 2024: Closure of WWE Network
In December 2024, all archived broadcasts of Raw became unavailable due to the closure of the WWE Network.
January 1, 2025: WWE Broadcast Rights Move to Netflix
As of January 1, 2025, Netflix holds the Canadian broadcast rights to WWE, with select archived episodes available for streaming on Netflix under the title Raw Vault.
January 6, 2025: Raw Moves to Netflix
On January 6, 2025, Raw is scheduled to move to the Netflix streaming platform for a period of at least 10 years.
January 2025: Raw to Stream on Netflix
In January 2025, Raw is scheduled to move to Netflix.
January 2025: Likely Loss of Broadcast Rights in Latin America
In January 2025, it is assumed that various channels across Latin America will lose their rights to broadcast Raw as Netflix acquired the rights in the region.
January 2025: Alicia Taylor lead ring announcer
Since January 2025, Alicia Taylor is WWE Raw's lead ring announcer.
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