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WWE News
Ratings News: WWE Raw rebounds with a relatvely strong rating for final two hours of three hour 800th episode celebration (w/Keller's Analysis) Nov 4, 2008 - 6:21:26 PM
Raw drew a 3.2 rating during the usual two-hour timeslot, up from the 2.9 it drew the last two weeks. They gave away a DX reunion, a World Title cage match, Undertaker in a rare Raw match against JBL, Randy Orton's return against former champ C.M. Punk, the returns of Shane and Stephanie McMahon to Raw, and more to achieve that rating. The first hour drew a 2.7.
Keller's Analysis: It's a sad day for WWE when they are celebrating a 3.2 rating for a three-hour special as loaded as last night's line-up. A 4.0 would have been disappointing for a "special edition" of Raw a year or two ago. Times have changed. Still, it's a relief that they got above 3.0 for the special. The key remains whether the increased viewership liked what they saw and will be back in higher numbers going forward. The core base WWE audience has shrunk, an regaining lost viewers is tougher than keeping current viewers. WWE needs to turn viewers who watch once every two or three weeks into every week viewers first, then somehow find a way to draw some of the totally lost viewers, which is best accomplished with an entirely new look, format, direction, and line-up of emerging stars, but WWE doesn't seem ready to make bold moves at that level yet. Major change is a gamble that can lead to sharp increases, but also sharp drops in viewership compared to a more conservative, familiar approach WWE continues to stick with.
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