WWE Raw ratings down, still third-best number since April

While Raw was down seven percent from last week, doing 2.53 million viewers, it was still the best number the show has done with the exception of Raw Reunion and last week’s episode dating back to night one of the Superstar Shake-up on April 15.

It followed the usual recent pattern of peaking in hour two and then falling in hour three. The third hour was below the first hour this week, but the third hour drop has lessened significantly since Paul Heyman was put in a role with major influence on the show, with the third hour 4.9 percent down from the first. Prior to Heyman, it was often near and even above a 20 percent drop from hour one to three.

Raw was sixth for the night on cable, losing only to news shows and the first week of NFL preseason football on ESPN, which did 3.01 million viewers.

As far as demos went, with the exception of over 50, which still peaked in hour one, all demos increased in hour two and fell in hour three.

The rating was down 18 percent from the same week in 2018, but that’s an unfair comparison because SummerSlam was a week earlier this year, so the comparison is with the day after SummerSlam. If we look at the week after SummerSlam from last year, the drop was 11 percent.

Straight Up Steve Austin, airing on the USA Network after Raw, did 1.08 million viewers, a drop of 11 percent from the first week. Again, part of that — and probably a big part — is a lesser lead-in because of the lower rated Raw.

Straight Up Steve Austin placed second to ESPN’s finish of the football game and SportsCenter on cable in the time slot.

The three hours for Raw were:

• 8 p.m. 2.55 million viewers
• 9 p.m. 2.63 million viewers
• 10 p.m. 2.42 million viewers