WWE Raw ratings up, still second lowest non-holiday number
Raw last night was up from last week, but still the second lowest non-holiday number in modern history.
The show did 2.13 million viewers, slightly below two other episodes that also did very close to that number. Only last week’s episode, which did 2.06 million viewers against a monster football game, would have been lower.
The key points were that the audience started lower than even in bad weeks, but also declined less during the show.
Raw was 11th on cable, but beat everything in 18-49 but ESPN.
Raw was down 15 percent from the same week last year.
As far as the first-to-third hour drop by key demos, women 18-49 dropped 18 percent, men dropped 18 percent, teenage girls dropped 24 percent, and teenage boys stayed even, while over 50 dropped 12 percent.
The main thing built in hour three was the Viking Raiders vs. Randy Orton and a mystery partner match, which wasn’t that compelling a reason to stay, but the decline was far less than last week’s record setting 26 percent first-to-third hour drop.
The Los Angeles Chargers vs. Kansas City Chiefs NFL game did 12.57 million viewers, which was a good number, but nowhere close to the level of last week’s game that hit a season-high 15.98 million viewers.
The number can’t be considered good given all the brand invasion stuff that did help SmackDown ratings at first.
The three hours were:
- 8 p.m. 2.25 million viewers
- 9 p.m. 2.21 million viewers
- 10 p.m. 1.93 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.