WWE Raw ratings down, still second-best number since September
Raw fell five percent to 2.78 million viewers last night, but the number has to be considered a positive overall as, except for last week, it was the best number the show has done dating back to September 3.
Last week’s number was largely boosted by the advertised return of Roman Reigns. A decline was to be expected, but this week’s number was still slightly above the 2.70 million average for Raw the day after the Royal Rumble, which has been by recent tradition one of the most-watched episodes of the show during a year.
Reigns probably led to a second strong week, although the show was built around an angle that didn’t finalize until hour three for a Shield reunion, which in theory should have held the audience better but didn’t.
Raw had a strong first hour and consistent drops during the show. The first-to-third hour drop was again well above usual at 18.9 percent. The biggest drop, of 25.3 percent, was women 18-49, meaning that for the show building toward a women’s angle at the end and Shield reunion, that was the audience that tuned out the heaviest. Teenage boys was the other major drop of 21.6 percent from the first-to-third hour.
Raw was third for the night on cable, trailing only Rachel Maddow on MSNBC (3.23 million viewers) and Tucker Carlson on Fox News (2.86 million viewers).
The three hours were:
- 8 p.m. 3.07 million viewers
- 9 p.m. 2.80 million viewers
- 10 p.m. 2.47 million viewers
Dave Meltzer is the founder and lead writer on the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the weekly constant when it comes to news and reviews in pro wrestling and mixed martial arts for more than 40 years. Dave also co-hosts Wrestling Observer Radio with Bryan Alvarez and had had bylines for The National, Yahoo Sports, MMA Fighting and others.