WWE Monday Night RAW Tops Netflix Charts, Dethrones American Primeval

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — WWE Monday Night RAW has surged to the top of Netflix‘s top 10 list, dethroning the limited series *American Primeval* in its second week on the streaming platform. The wrestling show, which premiered on Netflix on Jan. 8, 2025, has quickly become a dominant force in viewership, marking a new era for the platform’s live sports entertainment offerings.

*American Primeval*, a gritty Western drama starring Taylor Kitsch, had held the No. 1 spot since its Jan. 9 premiere but now sits at No. 2. The series, which dramatizes the 1857 Mountain Meadows Massacre, received mixed reviews from critics but resonated strongly with audiences, earning an 87% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.

“What I believe may be happening now is that every Monday, RAW may end up being the most-watched thing on Netflix before it quickly drops off,” said a Forbes contributor tracking the show’s performance. “RAW is a program that will run forever and likely put up good numbers whenever it airs.”

The Netflix-WWE deal, announced earlier this year, marks a significant shift in how live sports content is consumed. While *American Primeval* is a limited series, its future remains uncertain. Netflix has a history of extending successful limited series, but the show’s performance may not warrant further episodes. “It’s not impossible, I just don’t think it’s all that likely in this case,” the contributor added.

Elsewhere on the list, *Squid Game* season 2 holds steady at No. 4, three weeks after its release. The series continues to perform well, though it faces the challenge of surpassing the record-breaking viewership of its first season. Meanwhile, AMC‘s *The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live* has been added to Netflix, offering fans a continuation of Rick and Michonne’s story.

As for *American Primeval*, the series has sparked conversations about its historical accuracy. The show, inspired by the Utah War and the Mountain Meadows Massacre, portrays the brutal conflict between Mormon settlers, Native Americans, and the U.S. government. “These rose-colored glasses in which we view the past, from the first Thanksgiving onward, is a lie,” executive producer Eric Newman told Netflix’s Tudum. “It’s a lie meant to make us feel good about this really rugged, brutal path that we’ve taken.”

The series features fictionalized characters like Abish, a young Mormon woman inspired by historical accounts of women abducted by Indigenous tribes, and James Wolsey, a character based on real-life LDS members involved in the massacre. The show also includes real figures like Jim Bridger and Brigham Young, whose sermons are pulled directly from historical records.

With *Monday Night RAW* poised to dominate Netflix’s weekly charts, the platform’s foray into live sports entertainment appears to be a resounding success. As for *American Primeval*, its legacy may lie in its unflinching portrayal of a dark chapter in American history.