Mainstream influence; surprise appearances - 5 reasons WWE RAW beat Squid Game 

This week's WWE RAW Netflix debut was a success all-around, and they proved this by beating the worldwide hit TV series Squid Game. Still, there were several factors why the wrestling show managed to beat the popular show.

The January 6, 2025, episode of WWE RAW was special as it marked the first night the brand aired on Netflix as part of the company's 10-year deal with the streaming platform. It featured four matches, several segments with top stars and legends, and many celebrity appearances. Unsurprisingly, the premiere episode was a success and quickly became the platform's top show, even dethroning Squid Game in the USA.

For this list, we will look at five reasons WWE RAW beat Squid Game on Netflix.

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#5. Squid Game was already out for several days before WWE RAW

The second season of Squid Game was released on December 26, 2024, and quickly became the number-one show on the platform, amassing more than 120 million views just after 11 days.

On the other hand, the Monday night WWE show was aired on January 6. At that point, many people have already watched the hit Korean TV series. Still, the show remains in a prominent position as it is still in the top three.

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#4. Mainstream attention

RAW on Netflix had a lot of hype heading into its premiere. Several mainstream websites were talking about it, which garnered the interest of not just fans currently watching it, but the general population was well aware of what was happening.

Due to the mainstream attention the show had leading up to the premiere, many people like wrestling fans who stopped watching, and even friends of current fans caught wind of what was going on due to the reach of Netflix.

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#3. Legends and promises of top-star appearances

As mentioned above, there were celebrity appearances during the show. Celebrities like Vanessa Hudgens, Seth Green, Macaulay Culkin, Stephen Amell, and more were spotted in the crowd. Meanwhile, Travis Scott and Gabriel Iglesias were even involved in some way during the actual show.

Heading into the episode, it was advertised that The Rock and John Cena were set to appear, followed by Hulk Hogan and The Undertaker. Before the event, stars like Stephanie McMahon, Nikki Bella, and X-Pac were also spotted in the audience. Although they weren't involved in the action, the nostalgia of a simple appearance on WWE television was enough.

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#2. High-stakes matches

The card for this week's WWE RAW may not have had a lot of featured matches, but it was stacked. Some matches that were rumored to be featured at WrestleMania 41 happened this week instead.

Solo Sikoa vs. Roman Reigns in a Tribal Combat match to determine the only Tribal Chief kicked off the show, followed by Rhea Ripley vs. Liv Morgan for the Women's World Championship, Jey Uso vs. Drew McIntyre, then CM Punk vs. Seth Rollins. These matches are the result of the most heated feuds in 2024, which is why many ensured not to miss them.

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#1. Curiosity of the new platform

In its more than four decades of operation, WWE has only been available on cable television and Premium Live Events like many other weekly sports shows. Which is why the premiere on Netflix was important.

This week's episode was the first time Netflix had a show like WWE RAW. With this in mind, changes in setup were expected. These changes were definitely felt, some areas didn't have commercial breaks, the ring mat was changed, referee attire was different, and more interesting camera shots were present.