WWE Raw draws lowest day-after-Mania ratings in show history
Raw last night for the day-after-WrestleMania episode averaged 2.92 million viewers, by far the lowest for the show in history for the day after Mania.
It was the biggest number Raw has done since August 20, and seems to indicate it will be difficult to hit three million viewers this year, although next week’s Superstar Shakeup episode should challenge this show as the highest rated for the year.
Raw was hurt going against the NCAA basketball final that did 19.63 million viewers on CBS.
Last year’s Raw after Mania did 3.90 million viewers but didn’t have the basketball competition, so it’s a year-to-year drop of 25.1 percent.
The audiences for the Raw after WrestleMania in previous years:
- 2017 — 3.76 million
- 2016 — 4.08 million
- 2015 — 5.14 million
- 2014 — 4.61 million
The audience was up 12 percent from last week’s show. Last year, the Raw after Mania beat the Raw before Mania by 17 percent, but last year the NCAA finals went against the Raw before Mania.
Notable also was a 17 percent first-to-third hour drop, which is fairly high even with the constant pushing of a Kofi Kingston vs. Seth Rollins title vs. title match. That sends a major message that while the belts are very important to the hardcore fans, their meaning to the average fan and public at large is not strong.
The three hours were:
- 8 p.m. 3.18 million viewers
- 9 p.m. 2.94 million viewers
- 10 p.m. 2.65 million viewers