WWE Raw ratings drop with move to Syfy
Raw last night drew its lowest audience in history and second lowest 18-49 demo rating in history, but it’s really nothing to take seriously.
The episode averaged 1.39 million viewers and drew an 0.36 rating in 18-49. With the move to Syfy due to the Winter Olympics, record lows were expected. The demo number actually is Raw’s second lowest ever, as the December 6 episode of the show against a Buffalo Bills vs. New England Patriots game did an 0.35.
Raw was still third on cable behind Olympic coverage on the USA Network, with the 5-8 p.m. coverage doing 1.81 million viewers and an 0.38 in 18-49, and the 8-midnight coverage doing 2.07 million viewers and an 0.40. On the surface you would say that the show in the Raw time slot did better than Raw would have done in total viewers, but Raw would have done better in 18-49. But that’s misleading because it was an average of a four-hour window and the 11 p.m. to midnight hour would have taken the average for the show down, so it was probably in line of what Raw would have done, except appealing to higher level advertisers and more women.
The main Olympic events aired on NBC doing 8.45 million viewers and a 1.59 in 18-49, so the total 8-11 p.m. audience was 10.52 million viewers and a 1.99 in 18-49.
What was notable is that the knowledge of the move was far more notable with men than with women. Men 18-49 opened strongest at 8 p.m., and fell throughout the show. Women 18-49 started low, and grew 23 percent from the first to third hour.
While these numbers are not really applicable to learning anything or a statement on how the product is doing since last week was Raw’s highest total viewership number in months, the show was down 27 percent in viewers, down 23 percent in 18-49, and down 23 percent in 18-34 from last week. One would have figured a 20 to 25 percent drop would be normal.
As compared to one year ago, Raw was down 19 percent in viewers, down 27 percent in 18-49, and down 17 percent in 18-34.
The show was fifth on cable in women 18-49, second in men 18-49 (beating the Olympics but lower than one college basketball game on ESPN), fourth in 18-34 (behind the Olympics and one college basketball game), third in women 12-34, and second in men 12-34 behind a college basketball game.
The three hours were:
- 8 p.m. 1.38 million viewers
- 9 p.m. 1.45 million viewers
- 10 p.m. 1.34 million viewers