Raw Ratings: This week’s Raw rating has surprising and unusual statistics, with likely explanation (w/Keller’s Analysis)

Last night’s episode of WWE Monday Night Raw in live and same night DVR viewership on USA Network drew a rating of 2.21, down from last week’s post-Fastlane rating, but otherwise close to the 2017-to-date average of 2.21 and the ten week rolling average headed into this week of 2.20.

A year ago, Raw drew a 2.51 rating, so live and same night DVR viewership of Raw is down 12 percent.

Keller’s Analysis: What jumps out is the steady hourly numbers. It drew 3.176 million in the first hour and 3.197 in the third hour, rare growth from the first to the third hour, with a second hour peak of 3.323 million viewers. Over the prior ten weeks, the dropoff from the first to the third hour was 262,000 on average. So growth of 21,000 is unusual. So likely, the mystery of who Mick Foley was going to fire two satisfy Stephanie McMahon was enough to keep people tuned in, although perhaps it was Bayley vs. Nia Jax, Titus O’Neal vs. Big Show, or Austin Aries vs. Aria Daivari. You can’t do mysteries every week, and you have to pay them off when you do them, but it’s a good tactic to use now and then to keep viewers tuned in to the end. They certainly paid it off with a big angle with Seth Rollins and Triple H this week.

NOW CHECK OUT LAST WEEK’S REPORT: Raw Rating: One of the top three ratings since end of last summer, but devil in details (w/Keller’s Analysis)