Former WWE Star Dolph Ziggler Explains Why Netflix Streaming Deal Is Not A 'Demotion'

With "WWE Raw" moving to Netflix in 2025, speculation as to how the product might differ once that transition is made has been rampant since the deal was announced in January this year. How commercials might be handled, whether or not the content will be spicier without network limitations, and what demographic will be targeted have all been pondered aloud across the wrestling world. No matter how it does or doesn't change, Nic Nemeth (formerly WWE's Dolph Ziggler) and Thunder Rosa agreed on "Busted Open Radio" that there's no way to look at this deal other than extremely positively, although many questions remain.

"Anybody who is a generation younger than me doesn't even think, 'Cancel cable,'" Nemeth said, recognizing that they've already largely gone the streaming route. "It's like I'm a dinosaur at 43 for having cable still," he added, noting that for a time, anyone suggesting he watch something on an alternative broadcast made him think, "Oh, man. That's like a demotion." But like many others his age, "The Most Wanted Man" is coming around. "Cable is on its way out. I'm trying to see this as a very positive thing." 

Of course, Netflix doesn't put out viewership or ratings numbers in the traditional sense, which made Nemeth wonder, "Does [the metric now become] YouTube clicks, because man, WWE has an insanely popular YouTube. Does that and Twitter become how we're deciding how the ratings were for Monday and Wednesday?"

Rosa said the deal "redevelops the landscape of professional wrestling, especially with ratings," and pointed out the popularity of mobile viewing these days.

"Everybody watches stuff with a phone," she said. "We don't have to be stuck to the TV [so] you can watch it pretty much anywhere and if it's available worldwide, the possibilities are endless." She also added that downloaded shows to be watched offline later further boost the flexibility of a wrestling offering on a streaming platform. "There's so many things for people that are moving all the time and they're used to being on the phone that [makes accessibility the] most important part."

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit Busted Open Radio and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.