WWE RAW’s TV-14 Rating Not Expected To Bring Huge Change

WWE programming was filled with all sorts of incredible storylines and mature gimmicks years ago. However, all of that changed when they introduced the “PG Era.” WWE caters to the family-friendly audience with RAW that suits their consumer base, until now.

Sean Sapp reported behind Fightful’s paywall that the PG Era might be on its last leg. Following up on a report from Andrew Zarian, a memo circulated within USA Network informing everyone about a July 18th change. While he added that the memo was sent prematurely,

WWE’s potential shift is not exactly a huge one. The transition will be from ‘TV-PG’ to ‘TV-14,’ meaning that they’ll still make similar content to what they have. The content is still up to how the creators want it to be. While the rating systems for films and video games are more concrete, television shows don’t necessarily need to meet a standard to keep their PG rating.

For those expecting a significant content adjustment might end up being disappointed. While NXT has racier content regularly, it’s still rated TV-PG, and the content that airs is still up to the creator itself. Unlike MPAA for movies or ESRB for video games, cable television shows aren’t required to meet a certain standard in order to retain TV-PG status, or move to TV-14 status. For instance, WWE could have very well self-rated WWE Raw at TV-PG during the Attitude Era with so oversight ramifications. However, input from the network and sponsors about the content is always taken into effect.

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NXT has already picked up its programming significantly. Their internal stakeholders like the network and sponsors do have a take on the change. While it’s unlikely that WWE will go through with a major rebranding, their programming can become much more flexible.

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