This feature was made possible by Netflix providing advanced screeners of WWE: Unreal to Popped.
For the first time ever, WWE: Unreal allows audiences to step into the WWE writer’s room and outside the ring with everyone’s favourite WWE Superstars, where the drama is just as intense offstage as it is under the spotlight. The much-anticipated debut of live weekly programming unfolding 52 weeks a year on Netflix marks a new era for WWE fans.
As of January 2025, Netflix has been the exclusive home of WWE’s flagship weekly wrestling program in the US, Canada, UK, and Latin America, among other territories, with additional countries and regions added over time. This is the first time in the show’s 31-year history that WWE Monday Night RAW is available to stream. Additionally, Netflix will bring WWE’s electrifying content to audiences outside the United States, including SmackDown, NXT, and events such as WrestleMania, Royal Rumble, and SummerSlam, with the latter airing over two nights this coming weekend.
‘WWE: Unreal’ Is A Rookie’s Guide to WWE
Being a fairly newborn fan of WWE, I felt like this is clearly targeting a more general audience than those who will tune in for the weekly RAW and Smackdown shows, and both the framing of stories and interviews with Superstars and the staff behind-the-scenes is clearly tailored with a lot of broken down terminology to attempt at bringing in a new audience to WWE, which is now streaming in its entirety on Netflix outside of the US.
You get a chance to witness things such as Gorilla position, which the show explains as the nerve centre of WWE production, situated just behind the curtain where wrestlers make their entrances. It’s where executives like Triple H and producers monitor the live broadcast, cue music, and make last-minute decisions. always speaking with referees to ensure the safety of Superstars but also managing the quality of all the shows and PLEs.
WWE on Netflix
The first episode takes a spotlight on WWE’s arrival on Netflix, with such huge implications for the brand. We see early preparations in the writing room ahead of the first RAW on Netflix, with discussions surrounding who will “Main Event”, where titles will go, leading to the arrival of January 6, where Superstars old and new gather for an event which “is like Wrestlemania, but bigger” as Stephanie McMahon says in a cutaway clip. We get to see stars like The Undertaker, Nikki Bella, Roman Reigns, John Cena, and The Rock gather for such a huge event.
There’s a real sense that WWE’s transition to Netflix isn’t just about a platform shift, it’s about legacy, reinvention, and proving that the brand still has the cultural weight to deliver on a truly global scale. For a show about scripted drama, this episode proves the real drama is happening backstage and I felt the first episode doesn’t ruin too much of the illusion, though I imagine as the series develops and we get closer to the
A Sanitised Struggle for Authenticity
Despite promising unprecedented access behind the curtain, WWE: Unreal often feels like it’s playing things overly safe. Episode 1 teases tension and real stakes, particularly in the lead-up to WWE’s historic Jan 6 event on Netflix, but rarely delivers anything resembling the messiness or unpredictability fans know happens backstage. Segments that show the writers’ room or creative meetings are intriguing at first glance, but the absence of any meaningful disagreement, uncertainty, or spontaneity makes these moments feel more like corporate training videos than documentary insight. It’s all framed to suggest a slick, harmonious machine, even when it’s clear the moving parts must be far more chaotic.
That tension is part of what fans love about professional wrestling: the fine line between fiction and reality, the rumours that swirl online, and the drama that spills beyond the ring. But Unreal strips that away in favour of tight branding. Instead of leaning into the murky, emotionally complex parts of WWE’s creative ecosystem, it presents a version of events that’s glossy, PR-vetted, and borderline robotic. The result is a premiere that leaves newer fans underinformed and long-time fans underwhelmed.
Stories Worth Telling, But Only on WWE’s Terms
The most frustrating aspect of Unreal’s first episode is how close it gets to something genuinely emotional or compelling before retreating into safer territory. There’s a standout moment between Rhea Ripley and Damian Priest backstage that adds a rare, grounded bit of humanity to the countdown to the Jan 6 show. With Rhea soon to become the Women’s World Champion, it’s a lovely prelude to her big moment, and one of the few times the show allows a glimpse of what it all means to the performers beyond the spotlight.
But even those rare sparks are short-lived. Moments of introspection or personal doubt are fleeting, often replaced by broader montages or soundbites designed to reinforce WWE’s grand narrative. What could have been a story about pressure, performance, and passion ends up being more about polish and packaging. In Unreal, we get the characters, we get the fireworks, and we get the slogans, but the raw truth still feels like it’s stuck somewhere backstage. I’m really hoping my discomfort with the opening episode alleviates in later episodes, but we shall see.
‘WWE: Unreal’ Premiere – Final Thoughts
WWE: Unreal opens with promise, offering newcomers a polished guide to the world of pro wrestling while teasing access to its inner workings. But Episode 1 plays things too safe, favouring control over candour. There are glimpses of genuine emotion, especially in the moments with Rhea Ripley, but the show needs to dig deeper to truly deliver on its behind-the-scenes promise.
WWE: Unreal is now streaming on Netflix. Check out a trailer below:
