It seems like WWE is adjusting its approach to the runtime of Raw following its move to Netflix. As you pointed out, the show’s debut on January 6 ran for just over three hours, while the following week’s episode on January 13 was 30 minutes shorter. According to Dave Meltzer in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Paul “Triple H” Levesque aims for a 2.5-hour runtime for Raw when it airs on Netflix. This time limit is so significant that parts of the January 13 episode were edited down, including Penta’s debut match and promo, in order to stay within the ideal timeframe.
However, WWE’s international broadcasts of Raw remain billed as three hours, which is why the company is filming additional backstage segments and interviews for non-Netflix markets. These segments help to extend the runtime and account for the additional commercial breaks that are necessary for TV networks outside of the U.S.
It seems the streaming model on Netflix gives WWE more flexibility, but the company still has to accommodate international audiences and their traditional TV time slots. It will be interesting to see if this 2.5-hour “sweet spot” becomes a regular feature for Raw, or if future episodes will fluctuate based on the content and flow of the show.