WWE Raw ratings down six percent, little audience drop during show

Raw on Monday did 2.35 million viewers, which would have to be considered good by modern standards, particularly against the Home Run Derby.

The Home Run Derby on ESPN did 5.35 million viewers. Raw was seventh for the night on cable, trailing the Home Run Derby, the Home Run Derby prelims, and news shows.

It was down six percent from last week. Raw last year on Home Run Derby night was down nine percent and the year-to-year drop was five percent, one of the lowest in recent memories.

The key was very little audience drop throughout the show, with only a 2.6 percent first-to-third hour drop. The key is once again that women stayed with the show and actually gained over the three hours, with women 18-49 gaining 7.7 percent throughout the show, a figure unheard of for modern Raw.

While the surprisingly good number can partially be traced to last week’s show, the gains during the episode, especially given the competition, can only be traced to what was pushed for the third hour.

The third hour was built around Ricochet vs. The Club, Bayley and Nikki Cross in the Beat the Clock challenge, and a main event with Roman Reigns and a mystery partner vs. Shane McMahon & Drew McIntyre.

The three hours were:

• 8 p.m. 2.38 million viewers
• 9 p.m. 2.35 million viewers
• 10 p.m. 2.32 million viewers