Andrew Ravens
WWE Raw fans will need to adjust their schedules over the next two weeks. Following tonight’s episode from Baltimore, Maryland, the next two installments of Raw will both air earlier than the standard start time due to circumstances on either end of the Atlantic.
The June 22 episode takes Raw to London’s O2 Arena, airing live on Netflix at 2 p.m. Eastern to accommodate the UK time difference. That episode is part of WWE‘s return to the United Kingdom this weekend, which also includes house shows in Cardiff on June 20, Birmingham on June 21, and Sheffield on June 24, as well as a SmackDown taping at the O2 Arena on June 23. PWInsider.com reported the news today.
That SmackDown episode is being taped in advance rather than airing live because WWE has Night of Champions in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Saturday, June 27. The June 29 episode also carries an early start time despite returning to the United States, with Netflix listing it at 6 p.m. Eastern.
That episode takes place at Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey, which is hosting both a live Raw and a SmackDown taping on the same night. The SmackDown being taped that evening is the July 3 episode, which is being recorded in advance due to the Fourth of July holiday weekend.
The back-to-back scheduling adjustments are worth noting for fans who follow Raw on a weekly basis, particularly the London episode which begins in the early afternoon for East Coast viewers.
