Raw Rating: Overall rating above recent averages in 2017, but did Show vs. Strowman hold the audience? (w/Keller’s Analysis)

Monday’s episode of WWE Monday Night Raw on USA Network drew a 2.26 rating based on live and same night DVR viewership. That is down from the 2.35 rating the night before, and below the 2.41 monthly average, but above the average for the year of 2.24 and tied with the ten-week rolling average headed into this week of 2.26.

The dropoff in average viewership from hour one compared to hour three was just above average, 240,000. The average this year is 225,000. The show built toward the Big Show vs. Braun Strowman main event, plus featured singles matches with Finn Balor and Jeff Hardy in the third hour.

The rating was within reach of beating last year’s number, which was 2.32. The average through this week in 2016 was 2.54. The average this year so far is 2.24. So the average gap is 0.30, and this gap was only 0.06.

Keller’s Analysis: This number is above the 2.21 January average, which included a Royal Rumble surge, and it’s above the February average of 2.18, and even above the 2.21 average from March which included WrestleMania 33 build-up. So all-in-all, a good number that indicates viewers are engaged with the product now a little more than might be forecast based on ratings the first three months of the year.