WWE Raw ratings up with no NBA or NHL playoff competition
With no competition from the NBA or NHL playoffs, last night’s Raw was the first example of where a show stands based on a normal night for the last several weeks.
Raw averaged 1.74 million viewers overall and drew a 0.45 rating in 18-49, the best since the NBA playoffs started, but not a good showing based on standards this year.
The increase from last week was five percent in viewers, two percent in 18-49, and it was even in 18-34, as compared to an episode that had strong NBA and NHL competition. The key is that last week’s show came off a PPV and got a bump, since it was against harder competition than the May 2 Raw episode, but showed a solid increase from the May 2 show.
The third hour did better than it has been doing, so the promotion of Cody Rhodes at 10 p.m., like last week, seems to have helped somewhat.
It was the daylight saving time pattern where hour two beat hour one, and hour three was down, but not normal levels as the first-to-third hour drop was only six percent.
Raw was first on cable, well above Below Deck on Bravo at 0.33.
Raw was second to Below Deck in women 18-49, first in men 18-49 by a wide margin, first in 18-34, second to Below Deck in women 12-34, and first by a wide margin in men 12-34.
Next Monday’s Raw will go against a Boston Celtics vs. Miami Heat NBA playoff game and two NHL playoff games, so the number would be expected to fall.
As compared to last year in the ThunderDome, the show was down five percent in viewers, down six percent in 18-49, and up 58 percent in 18-34.
Figuring in the loss of cable homes over the past year, the real percentage of viewership figures as compared to one year ago would be a three percent increase in viewers, a one percent increase in 18-49, and a 68 percent increase in 18-34, so the show is well ahead of where it was last year with younger viewers, which likely has to do with live crowds.
Raw was ninth for the night in total viewers, trailing eight news shows, which is actually much higher than usual as well.
The third hour actually beat the first hour in 18-49. The first-to-third hour movement saw women 18-49 up 14 percent (almost unheard of), men 18-49 stayed even, teenage girls increased 34 percent (also almost unheard of), and teenage boys stayed even. If there is something to learn it’s that hour three, built around Becky Lynch vs. Asuka and the Cody Rhodes interview, had strong appeal with teenage girls and also adult women.
Raw beat ABC programming, beat CBS in the second and third hour, beat NBC all night, and lost to Fox, so overall USA Network was second to only Fox in prime time.
The three hours were:
- 8 p.m. 1.75 million viewers
- 9 p.m. 1.82 million viewers
- 10 p.m. 1.65 million viewers