WWE SummerSlam Was Temporarily Listed As TV-14 On Peacock

By Matthew Carlins

There appears to be some uncertainty surrounding the parental rating for WWE's SummerSlam event.

Wednesday afternoon, Wrestling Inc. noted that SummerSlam was listed on Peacock with a TV-14 rating. However, by Wednesday evening, the rating that accompanies the listing for the event on the Peacock app had been updated to TV-PG.

This follows reports starting last Thursday that a rating change is in the works for "Raw". The initial report on the matter was later retracted, but it was said to be based on an internal memo to USA Network executives that called for "Raw" to shift to a TV-14 rating starting immediately. The change reportedly is "still in consideration for a later date."

When and if the change comes, the decision is reportedly coming from USA Network. Also, the change is not expected to result in any drastic alterations to what fans see and hear during "Raw".

There's been no reported change planned to the rating for "SmackDown". Presumably, it will remain TV-PG. "SmackDown" has aired on the FOX network in the United States since October 2019. WWE's third network program, "NXT", also carries a TV-PG rating and airs on the USA Network.

It's been noted that unlike the MPAA rating system for movies or the ESRB system for video games, cable television shows are not required to meet any certain criteria to retain TV-PG status or be switched to a TV-14 rating.

WWE Hall of Famer Eric Bischoff is among the many who have chimed in on the possible end of the "PG Era" on "Raw".

"Some of [the implications] may be real and tangible and others subtle and possibly not so significant," Bischoff said on his "Strictly Business" podcast. "I think it's going to create a lot of anticipation, right? I think there's going to be a lot of people who maybe have tuned out over the years because the product has gotten soft since 2008, meaning it needs to be palatable for children to keep the advertisers and the network happy."

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