DVR Viewing – Week of March 28 – Raw, Smackdown, TNA Impact, Lucha

DVR Tracking – First Quarter 2016

Week of Mar. 28 Update: This will be the last post in this article wrapping up the First Quarter. We will begin a new article in a new format with the second quarter.

– Updated viewership below includes the March 28 Raw, March 29 TNA Impact, March 30 Lucha Underground (record viewership), and March 31 WWE Smackdown.

WWE Raw on USA Network

March 28 (Full House Roster pre-WM32)

– TV Rating: 2.66 rating

– Avg. Live Viewers: 3.764 million viewers
– Avg. DVR added: 376,000 viewers (most in five weeks)
– TOTAL Avg. Live+DVR Viewers: 4.140 million viewers (up 11.2%)

– First Hour: 3.818 million live viewers

• 376,000 DVR viewers added
• TOTAL: 4.194 million viewers (#2)

– Second Hour: 3.845 million live viewers

• 368,000 DVR viewers added
• TOTAL: 4.213 million viewers (#1)

– Third Hour: 3.629 million live viewers

• 384,000 DVR viewers added
• TOTAL: 4.013 million viewers (#3)

March 21 (No Part-Time Stars Two Weeks Pre-WM32)

– TV Rating: 2.44 rating (down 3%)

– Avg. Live Viewers: 3.399 million viewers (down two percent)
– Avg. DVR added: 322,333 viewers (9.5%, nearly identical to last week, thus not making up for softer live viewership)
– TOTAL Avg. Live+DVR Viewers: 3.722 million viewers (down 1.7% from last week)

– First Hour: 3.466 million live viewers

• 323,000 DVR viewers added
• TOTAL: 3.789 million viewers (#1)

– Second Hour: 3.416 million live viewers

• 302,000 DVR viewers added
• TOTAL: 3.718 million viewers (#2)

– Third Hour: 3.317 million live viewers

• 342,000 DVR viewers added
• TOTAL: 3.658 million viewers (#3)
• There was not enough of a DVR bump to make up for the downturn in live third hour viewership.

March 14 (Full House Pittsburgh Raw)

– TV Rating: 2.51 rating (down 3%)

– Avg. Live Viewers: 3.457 million viewers (down 2.6%)
– Avg. DVR added: 327,333 viewers (9.5%)
– TOTAL Avg. Live+DVR Viewers: 3.785 million (down 1.8% from last week)

– First Hour: 3.471 million live viewers

• 298,000 DVR viewers added
• TOTAL: 3.769 million viewers (#2)

– Second Hour: 3.392 million live viewers

• 305,000 DVR viewers added (nearly year-low)
• TOTAL: 3.697 million viewers (#3)

– Third Hour: 3.510 million live viewers

• 379,000 DVR viewers added
• TOTAL: 3.889 million viewers (#1)
• The males 18-49 demo jumped from a 1.79 live to a 2.00 DVR rating.
• General adults 18-49 jumped 11 percent live to DVR.

OVERALL: Despite the overall TV rating, live viewership, and total viewership declining from last week with a full house of WWE stars, the third hour was a good sign.

March 7 (Chicago Raw)

– TV Rating: 2.59 rating (down from a 2.63 rating)

– Avg. Live Viewers: 3.551 million viewers (down 4.6%)
– Avg. DVR added: 304,667 viewers (8.6%) – smallest gain by number in 2016
– TOTAL Avg. Live+DVR Viewers: 3.885 million viewers (bottom-half of 2016)

SUMMARY: Live viewership was was soft and DVR viewership was equally soft as last week’s show.

– First Hour: 3.760 million live viewers

• 296,000 DVR viewers added
• TOTAL: 4.056 million viewers (#1)

– Second Hour: 3.614 million live viewers

• 308,000 DVR viewers added
• TOTAL: 3.922 million viewers (#2)

– Third Hour: 3.279 million live viewers

• 310,000 DVR viewers added (by far the least number of third hour DVR add-ons this year)
• TOTAL: 3.589 million viewers (#3)

February 29 (The Undertaker Return)

– TV Rating: 2.63 rating (down 3.7% from last week)

– Avg. Live Viewers: 3.724 million viewers (down 4.1%)
– Avg. DVR added: 318,000 viewers (8.5%) – smallest gain by number and percentage in 2016
– TOTAL Avg. Live+DVR Viewers: 4.042 million viewers (down 6.9% from last week)

SUMMARY: Avg. Live Viewership was down 4.6%, then factoring in DVR viewing, the average of all three hours declined even further to 6.9% due to soft DVR viewing.

– First Hour: 3.961 million live viewers

• 266,000 DVR viewers added (by far year-low)
• TOTAL: 4.227 million viewers (#1)
• The only demographic that showed significant movement was males 18-49 gaining 0.15 of a rating.

– Second Hour: 3.660 million live viewers

• 296,000 DVR viewers added (by far year-low)
• TOTAL: 3.956 million viewers (#2)
• Again, the only demo that showed significant movement was males 18-49 gaining 0.16 of a rating

– Third Hour: 3.551 million live viewers

• 392,000 DVR viewers added (jump from the first two hours)
• TOTAL: 3.943 million viewers (#3, nearly closing the gap on the second hour)
• The third hour jumped in males 18-49 by 0.25 of a rating. Other demos showed similar gains in the hour, but not at the level of m18-49.

February 22 (Post-Fast Lane/Shane McMahon Big Return)

– TV Rating: 2.73 rating (up 10% from last week)

– Avg. Live Viewers: 3.884 million viewers (+11.7% from last week)
– Avg. DVR added: 458,667 viewers (11.8%)
– TOTAL Avg. Live+DVR Viewers: 4.342 million (+13.1% from last week)

This was the second-largest total audience of the year behind 4.499 million viewers for post-Royal Rumble Raw.

– First Hour: 4.201 million live viewers

• 459,000 DVR viewers added
• TOTAL: 4.660 million viewers (#1)
• The combined audience was the most-watched hour of the year for the 30-minute McMahon Family opening segment featuring Shane McMahon’s return.

– Second Hour: 4.055 million live viewers

• 446,000 DVR viewers added
• TOTAL: 4.501 million viewers (#2)
• The combined audience was the third-most-watched hour of the year.

– Third Hour: 3.396 million live viewers (record-setting 16.3% decline from the second hour).

• 471,000 DVR viewers added
• TOTAL: 3.867 million viewers (#3)
• There were sharp demographic drop-offs across the board. Included was the Live+DVR males 18-49 demo going 2.1, 2.1, and then 1.83.

February 15 (Fast Lane Lead-in)

– TV Rating: 2.48 rating (down 6%)

– Avg. Live Viewers: 3.477 million viewers (-6.7% decline from last week)
– Avg. DVR added: 364,333 viewers (10.5%)
– TOTAL Avg. Live+DVR Viewers: 3.841 million (-5.8% decline from last week)

– First Hour: 3.661 million live viewers

• 354,000 DVR viewers added
• TOTAL: 4.015 million viewers (#1)

– Second Hour: 3.537 million live viewers

• 373,000 DVR viewers added
• TOTAL: 3.910 million viewers (#2)

– Third Hour: 3.233 million live viewers

• 366,000 DVR viewers added
• TOTAL: 3.599 million viewers (#3)

ANALYSIS: For the first time this year and first time in a long time, the third hour of Raw added fewer DVR views than the second hour. Raw viewers typically fast-forward through the second hour to get to the end, but this week’s show indicates not as many viewers made it to the end of the show.

February 8 (Daniel Bryan Retirement)

– TV Rating: 2.65 rating (up 11%)

– Avg. Live Viewers: 3.726 million (+10.1% gain from last week)
– Avg. DVR added: 353,333 viewers (9.5%)
– TOTAL Avg. Live+DVR Viewers: 4.080 million (+7.8% gain from last week)

– First Hour: 3.907 million live viewers

• 318,000 DVR added
• TOTAL: 4.225 million viewers (#2)

– Second Hour: 3.905 million live viewers

• 338,000 DVR added
• TOTAL: 4.243 million viewers (#1)

– Third Hour: 3.772 million live viewers

• 404,000 DVR added
• TOTAL: 3.772 million viewers (#3)

ANALYSIS: D-Bryan Raw is an interesting case study on bringing in a big audience early waiting for a big event, then three-hour Raws driving away viewers. DVR viewing was down, pointing to more real-time, live viewership during the first two hours. The third hour DVR viewership increased a bit, but not enough to make up for a live dip.

February 1

– TV Rating: 2.38 rating (down 19%)

– Avg. Live Viewers: 3.383 million viewers (down 17.4% from last week)
– Avg. DVR added: 400,667 viewers (11.8%)
– TOTAL Avg. Live+DVR Viewers: 3.784 million viewers (down 15.9%)

– First Hour: 3.592 million live viewers

• 416,000 DVR added
• TOTAL: 4.008 million viewers (#1)

– Second Hour: 3.464 million live viewers

• 377,000 DVR added
• TOTAL: 3.841 million viewers (#2)

– Third Hour: 3.094 million live viewers

• 409,000 DVR added
• TOTAL: 3.503 million viewers (#3)

ANALYSIS: This was opposite of post-Rumble Raw with a steady decline in viewership throughout the show, with the third hour unable to make up ground in DVR viewing.

January 25 (Post-Rumble Raw, The Rock Surprise Appearance)

– TV Rating: 2.93 rating (season high)

– Avg. Live Viewers: 4.098 million viewers (season high, 17.2% increase from last week)
– Avg. DVR added: 401,333 million viewers (9.8%)
– TOTAL Avg. Live+DVR Viewers: 4.499 million viewers (16.2% increase from last week)

– First Hour: 4.140 million live viewers

• 329,000 DVR added
• TOTAL: 4.469 million viewers (#2)

– Second Hour: 4.183 million live viewers

• 406,000 DVR added
• TOTAL: 4.589 million viewers (#1)

– Third Hour: 3.972 million viewers

• 469,000 DVR added
• TOTAL: 4.441 million viewers (#3)

ANALYSIS: This was a very evenly-distributed show in terms of viewers per hour with the total live+DVR audiences being very close across all three hours.

January 18 (Rumble lead-in)

– TV Rating: 2.45 rating

– Avg. Live Viewers: 3.496 million viewers
– Avg. DVR added: 375,667 viewers (10.7%)
– TOTAL Avg. Live+DVR Viewers: 3.872 million

– First Hour: 3.775 million live viewers

• 375,000 DVR added
• TOTAL: 4.150 million viewers (#1)

– Second Hour: 3.591 million live viewers

• 362,000 DVR added
• TOTAL: 3.953 million viewers (#2)

– Third Hour: 3.123 million live viewers

• 390,000 DVR added
• TOTAL: 3.513 million viewers (#3)

January 11 (vs. NCAA Football Title Game)

– TV Rating: 2.36 rating (season low)

– Avg. Live Viewers: 3.23 million viewers (7.0% decline)
– Avg. DVR added: 481,333 (14.5% – big jump in DVR viewers)
– TOTAL Avg. Live+DVR Viewers: 3.804 million (3.9% decline)

– First Hour: 3.536 million live viewers

• 439,000 DVR added
• TOTAL: 3.975 million viewers (#1)

– Second Hour: 3.206 million live viewers

• 446,000 DVR added
• TOTAL: 3.652 million viewers (#3)

– Third Hour: 3.228 million viewers

• 559,000 DVR added
• TOTAL: 3.787 million viewers (#2)

January 4

– TV Rating: 2.49

– Avg. Live Viewers: 3.573 million viewers
– Avg. DVR added: 382,333 (10.7%)
– TOTAL Avg. Live+DVR Viewers: 3.957 million viewers

– First Hour: 3.707 million live viewers

• 377,000 DVR added
• TOTAL: 4.084 million viewers (#1)

– Second Hour: 3.516 million live viewers

• 340,000 DVR added
• TOTAL: 3.856 million viewers (#3)

– Third Hour: 3.503 million live viewers

• 430,000 DVR added
• TOTAL: 3.933 million viewers (#2)

***

WWE Smackdown on USA Network

March 31 (Pre-WM32 Match/Clip Show)

– TV Rating: 1.66 rating

– Live Viewership: 2.328 million viewers (down 6.9%)

• DVR Added: 141,000 viewers (by far the fewest of the year with the business of Mania Week)
• TOTAL VIEWERS: 2.469 million viewers (fewer than last week’s first-run audience)

March 24 (Brock Lesnar on Smackdown)

– TV Rating: 1.75 rating

– Live Viewership: 2.501 million viewers (up 10.7%)

• DVR Added: 220,000 viewers (light 8.8% add-on, pointing to most viewers being live)
• TOTAL VIEWERS: 2.721 million (up 7.9% or about 200,000 viewers from last week)
• Most Total Viewers since February 4

March 17

– TV Rating: 1.71 rating (up 4.3%)

– Live Viewership: 2.260 million viewers (up 3.4%)

• DVR Added: 262,000 viewers (11.6%) (most added viewers and highest percentage in 2016)
• TOTAL VIEWERS: 2.522 million (up 4.6% from last week)

March 10

– TV Rating: 1.64 rating (year-low)

– Live Viewership: 2.186 million viewers (down 12% to a year-low)

• DVR Added: 226,000 viewers (about the same as last week, not closing the gap on the live drop-off)
• TOTAL VIEWERS: 2.412 million viewers (down 300,000 or 11 percent from last week)
• Overall: By far the fewest total viewers of the year. The previous low was 2.545 million in Week 2.

March 3

– TV Rating: 1.76 rating

– Live Viewership: 2.491 million viewers (up 4.0%)

• DVR Added: 220,000 viewers (soft 8.8% gain)
• TOTAL VIEWERS: 2.711 million viewers (most since 2/4)

February 25 (Post-Fast Lane, Triple H on the show)

– TV Rating: 1.74 rating

– Live Viewership: 2.395 million viewers (down 2.6% from last week)

• DVR Added: 258,000 viewers
• TOTAL VIEWERS: 2.653 million viewers (nearly closing the gap on last week’s 2.679 million viewers)

The Males 18-49 demographic helped make up some ground in DVR viewing. The m18-49 rating went from a 0.93 live to a 1.08 live+DVR.

February 18 (Fast Lane Lead-in, Brock Lesnar first time on SD in 12 years)

– TV Rating: 1.76 rating

– Live Viewership: 2.458 million viewers (+1.8% from last week)

• DVR Added: 221,000 viewers (below-average 9.0%)
• TOTAL VIEWERS: 2.679 million viewers (+0.9% from last week)

The one item that showed a potential “Brock Pop” was the males 18-49 demographic. The live airing scored a 0.86 m18-49 rating and the DVR rating popped to a 1.07. That’s the highest m18-49 live+DVR rating this year.

February 11 (Week 6)

– TV Rating: 1.72 rating (8 percent decline)

– Live Viewership: 2.414 million viewers (9 percent decline)

• DVR Added: 240,000 viewers (9.9%)
• TOTAL VIEWERS: 2.654 million viewers

February 4 (Week 5)

– TV Rating: 1.86 rating

– Live Viewership: 2.664 million viewers

• DVR Added: 231,000 viewers (8.7%)
• TOTAL VIEWERS: 2.895 million viewers

January 28 (Week 4)

– TV Rating: 1.87 rating

– Live Viewership: 2.720 million viewers

• DVR Added: 250,000 viewers (9.2%)
• TOTAL VIEWERS: 2.970 million viewers (Current #2)

January 21 (Week 3)

– TV Rating: 1.87 rating

– Live Viewership: 2.757 million viewers (18 percent rebound)

• DVR Added: 232,000 viewers (8.4%)
• TOTAL VIEWERS: 2.989 million viewers (Season High Point)

January 14 (Week 2)

– TV Rating: 1.68 (current season low)

– Live Viewership: 2.332 million viewers (15 percent decline from Jan. 7)

• DVR Added: 213,000 viewers (9.1%)
• TOTAL VIEWERS: 2.545 million viewers

January 7 (USA Network debut)

– TV Rating: 1.93 (current season high)

– Live Viewership: 2.757 million viewers

• DVR Added: 196,000 viewers (7.1%)
• TOTAL VIEWERS: 2.953 million

***

TNA Impact on Pop TV

March 29 Impact

• 312,000 Live Viewers for first-run airing
  • 48,000 DVR viewers
• 76,000 Replay Viewers on Tuesday
• TOTAL AUDIENCE: 436,000 viewers (down slightly from last week)

March 22 Impact

• 331,000 Live Viewers for first-run airing
  • 50,000 DVR viewers (nearly same as last week)
• 59,000 Replay Viewers on Tuesday (about half as last week)
• TOTAL AUDIENCE: 440,000 viewers (down 8.5% from last week)

March 15 (Semi-Live return to Orlando; Drew Galloway wins TNA Title)

• 307,000 Live Viewers for first-run airing
  • 51,000 DVR viewers
• 123,000 Replay Viewers on Tuesday
• TOTAL AUDIENCE: 481,000 viewers (up 56.2% from last week’s basement level)
• It was the second-most total viewers of 2016, trailing 504,000 viewers on January 26.

March 8 (Kurt Angle Farewell; last show from U.K. Tour)

• 222,000 Live Viewers for first-run airing
  • 28,000 DVR added (fewest since Week 1 on new network)
• 58,000 Replay Viewers on Tuesday
• TOTAL AUDIENCE: 308,000 viewers (down 17 percent from last week)
• The total audience was fewer than Week 1 on a new network when Impact drew 358,000.

March 1 (Kurt Angle Next-to-Last Match)

• 258,000 Live Viewers for first-run airing
  • 46,000 DVR added (17.8%)
• 68,000 Replay Viewers on Tuesday
• TOTAL AUDIENCE: 372,000 viewers (down 1.8% percent from 2/23; second-smallest audience of 2016)

February 23 (Lockdown Special)

• 210,000 Live Viewers for first-run airing (17.5% decline to season-low)
  • 82,000 DVR added (39.% of the audience)
• 87,000 Replay Viewers on Tuesday
• TOTAL AUDIENCE: 379,000 viewers (4.5% decline, marking four consecutive declines)

February 16

• 273,000 Live Viewers for first-run airing
  • 37,000 DVR added (13.6%)
• 87,000 Replay Viewers on Tuesday
• TOTAL AUDIENCE: 397,000 viewers (7.0% decline, marking three consecutive declines)

February 9

• 276,000 Live Viewers for first-run airing
  • 39,000 DVR added (14.1%)
• 112,000 Replay Viewers on Tuesday
• TOTAL AUDIENCE: 427,000 viewers (3.4% decline)

February 2

• 295,000 Live Viewers for first-run airing
  • 35,000 DVR added (11.9%)
• 112,000 Replay Viewers on Tuesday
• TOTAL AUDIENCE: 442,000 viewers (12.3% decline)

January 26

• 339,000 Live Viewers for first-run airing
  • 62,000 DVR added (18.3%)
• 103,000 Replay Viewers on Tuesday
• TOTAL AUDIENCE: 504,000 viewers (+5.2% – peak on Pop)

January 19 (Matt Hardy won TNA Hvt. Title)

• 321,000 Live Viewers for first-run airing
  • 36,000 DVR added (11.2%)
• 122,000 Replay Viewers on Tuesday (most thus far)
• TOTAL AUDIENCE: 479,000 viewers (+22.8%)

January 12

• 288,000 Live Viewers for first-run airing
  • 25,000 DVR added (8.7%)
• 77,000 Replay Viewers on Tuesday
• TOTAL AUDIENCE: 390,000 viewers (+8.9%)

January 5 – Pop TV debut

• 255,000 Live Viewers for first-run airing
  • 13,000 DVR added (5.1%)
• 90,000 Replay Viewers on Tuesday
• TOTAL AUDIENCE: 358,000 viewers

***

Lucha Underground on El Rey Network

March 30 (Episode #10)

• 159,000 Live Viewers for first-run airing
  • 43,000 DVR viewers
• 63,000 Replay Viewers on Wed. night
• TOTAL AUDIENCE: 265,000 viewers (increasing from last week’s record audience to a new record audience)

March 23 (Episode #9 – Aztec Warfare, Rey Mysterio’s in-ring debut)

• 163,000 Live Viewers for first-run airing (season high)
  • 30,000 DVR viewers
• 69,000 Replay Viewers on Wed. night
• TOTAL AUDIENCE: 262,000 viewers (up 67 percent, more than 100k viewers from last week, which did not record DVR).
• This was the #1 total audience of the season, topping 248k total viewers on February 10.

March 16 (Episode #8)

• 100,000 Live Viewers for first-run airing
  • DVR did not report
• 57,000 Replay Viewers on Wed. night
• TOTAL AUDIENCE (without DVR): 157,000 viewers

March 9 (Episode #7)

• 95,0000 Live Viewers for first-run airing (season low)
  • 29,000 DVR added
• 41,000 Replay Viewers on Wed. night
• TOTAL AUDIENCE: 165,000 viewers (down 24% from last week)
• Following the lead of Smackdown and TNA, it was the smallest audience of the year

March 2 (Episode #6)

• 124,000 Live Viewers for First-Run Airing
  • 29,000 DVR added
• 63,000 Replay Viewers on Wednesday night
• TOTAL AUDIENCE: 216,000 viewers (up 14.9%, close to Episode #4)

February 24 (Episode #5)

• 99,000 Live Viewers for First-Run Airing (season low)
  • 27,000 DVR added
• 62,000 Replay Viewers on Wednesday night
• TOTAL AUDIENCE: 188,000 viewers (14.2% decline)

February 17 (Episode #4)

• 152,000 Live Viewers for First-Run airing (most thus far)
  • 15,000 DVR added
• 52,000 Replay Viewers on Wednesday (least thus far)
• TOTAL AUDIENCE: 219,000 viewers (11.7% decline)

ANALYSIS: This week’s viewership was heavily concentrated in the first-run airing, which shows a strong desire among core viewers to watch the show live. However, the overall audience shrunk across all three metrics (live, replay, and DVR).

February 10 (Episode #3)

• 136,000 Live Viewers for First-Run airing
  • 31,000 DVR added
• 81,000 Replay Viewers on Wednesday
• TOTAL AUDIENCE: 248,000 viewers (+17.0% increase)

February 3 (Episode #2)

• 125,000 Live Viewers for First-Run airing
  • 11,000 DVR added
• 76,000 Replay Viewers on Wednesday
• TOTAL AUDIENCE: 212,000 viewers (9.8% decline)

January 27 (Season 2 premiere)

• 130,000 Live Viewers for First-Run airing
  • 19,000 DVR added
• 86,000 Replay Viewers on Wednesday
• TOTAL AUDIENCE: 235,000 viewers