Former WWE star Maven Huffman has raised significant concerns about two major issues he believes could drive fans away from WWE in the long run — the volume of advertisements during Raw on Netflix and the rapidly rising cost of consuming WWE content. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Maven held nothing back in his assessment of where the company currently stands.
On the cost issue, Maven pointed to the cumulative expense facing fans trying to follow WWE across multiple platforms. “If you’re streaming, that costs. If you want to watch it on Netflix, that costs. If you need ESPN Plus, that costs. There’s no reason that people should have to mortgage $50, $60, $100 a month strictly to professional wrestling. Because what you’re going to do is lose fans.” He pointed to WrestleMania 42’s slower-than-expected ticket sales as early evidence that fan enthusiasm may already be impacted.
Maven Says WWE’s Raw Ad Volume on Netflix Is Driving Away Even the Most Committed Viewers
Maven reserved particular criticism for the advertising situation during Raw. “I sat down and watched an entire episode of Monday Night Raw from beginning to end. And the one thing that was so painful was the amount of ads during the show. We were actually laughing at one point — they were running ads it felt like every four to five minutes.” He argued that the constant interruptions destroy the show’s flow regardless of match quality or storyline investment. “Every time I could get into something, I was getting sold DoorDash. If you run too many ads, you run the risk of boring your fans. And if you bore your fans long enough, ask for too much of their dollars, they’re going to find their entertainment options better utilized somewhere else.”
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