Why Jim Ross stopped watching WWE RAW

Jim Ross is viewed by many as one of the greatest wrestling commentators of all time. On the latest episode of his podcast, the WWE Hall of Famer explained why he no longer watches RAW.

On January 6, RAW moved to the Netflix streaming service as part of a 10-year, $5 billion agreement. Fans in the United States could previously watch the show on the USA Network television channel.

Discussing RAW's new 2025 home, Ross revealed on Grilling JR that he stopped watching WWE's flagship show because he is not a Netflix subscriber:

"I'm a huge wrestling fan, have been forever. However, I've never watched one episode of RAW since it moved to Netflix, and not because I'm boycotting. I don't have Netflix and I haven't gone to the trouble of getting it, so what happens on Monday night, I don't know. I read about it. I don't see it. I don't know how well that's working." [14:54 – 15:24]

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Ross was the voice of WWE's popular Attitude Era alongside Jerry Lawler. Earlier in 2025, Lawler told Sportskeeda Wrestling Senior Editor Bill Apter that he no longer watches RAW for the same reason as his former commentary partner.

Jim Ross still watches WWE programming

Although he does not tune in to catch RAW every week, Jim Ross remains interested in the modern-day WWE product.

The 73-year-old added that he watches SmackDown every Friday because he can still watch the blue brand's show through his television set.

"I watch SmackDown on Friday nights because I have access to it readily and easily on USA Network, but I don't have the wherewithal to watch it [RAW] on the Netflix app or the Netflix distribution area," Ross said. [15:34 – 15:58]

Ross spent a combined 23 years in WWE before joining AEW in 2019. On July 12, he returned to the announce desk at All In after undergoing colon cancer surgery.

Please credit Grilling JR and give an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use Jim Ross' quotes from this article.

About the author

Danny Hart is a journalist who has been reporting on pro wrestling (WWE) at Sportskeeda since 2017. He grew up as a massive fan of football/soccer and wrestling, leading him to pursue a career in sports journalism.

Before assuming his current role, Hart worked as a football writer at Goal.com between 2009 and 2016. He prides himself on writing original content that is fact-based and highly accurate. Hart thoroughly proofreads his work before submitting it and relies only on credible sources for information.

Hart’s favorite pro wrestler is The Undertaker. He admires the 2022 WWE Hall of Famer’s ability to reinvent his character and remain relevant across his decades-long career. If given the keys to WWE’s creative department, he would bring back The Phenom for a farewell bout against AJ Styles in a stadium full of fans. Not only that, but he would love to have the multi-time world champion’s greatest rivals seated at ringside for the spectacle.

When not watching and covering sports, Hart enjoys long-distance running, playing video games, and listening to audiobooks and podcasts.

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Edited by Danny Hart