Update On Report About WWE Raw Moving To TV-14
WWE fans were buzzing earlier today after word that the "PG Era" of "Raw" will soon end. Now, the initial source of that news is walking back part of his report.
"WWE 'Raw' won't be going to TV-14 on July 18th but still in consideration for a later date," Andrew Zarian of the Mat Men Podcast tweeted Thursday night.
Zarian also elaborated on the source of his initial report and his understanding of what is happening behind the scenes involving WWE and the USA Network. He says there was a memo circulating within USA Network Thursday morning regarding the rating for "Raw" changing to TV-14 on July 18. However, Zarian wrote Thursday night that the memo was apparently sent out prematurely and the date for the switch has not yet been finalized. Zarian deleted his initial tweet on the matter, explaining that he did not want inaccurate information being spread further.
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.
The "PG Era" of "Raw" began on June 22, 2008. WWE adjusted its on-air product to adopt a more family-friendly approach. Blood, cursing, and other more salacious aspects of its past programming were pushed aside in a bid to attract more mainstream advertisers.
The change coincided with Linda McMahon's transition from her role with WWE to a political career. McMahon lost two Senatorial campaigns in 2010 and 2012, both times running in Connecticut, losing to Senators Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy, respectively. McMahon later served as the head of the Small Business Administration under former President (and WWE Hall of Famer) Donald Trump's administration. She held the post from 2016 until she stepped down in 2019.
This is a wild situation. There's a lot happening behind the scenes
WWE Raw won't be going to TV-14 on July 18th but still in consideration for a later date.
Will go live tomorrow morning to break this down. https://t.co/F29mP8xCwy
— Andrew Zarian (@AndrewZarian) July 14, 2022
There was a memo within USA Network that went out this morning regarding WWE Raw changing to TV-14 on July 18th.Apparently that was sent out prematurely and the day was not finalized.
— Andrew Zarian (@AndrewZarian) July 14, 2022