SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
WWE Raw this week, featuring the Kurt Angle mystery reveal and a big main event of Roman Reigns vs. Samoa Joe with Summerslam implications, drew a 2.15 rating. That is above the 2.04 from the week before and the 1.91 two weeks ago (the day before the Fourth of July). It was the best rating since Apr. 17, which drew a 2.26.
The first hour drew 3.14 million viewers, the second hour drew a show-high 3.24 million viewers, and the third hour drew 3.08 million viewers. The third hour held up relatively well compared to the first hour, with a mere drop-off of 57,000 viewers. The yearly average is a drop-off of 232,000 from the first to the third hour.
The same week last year, Raw drew a 2.22 rating.
The average rating this year is 2.11, well under last year’s average through this week of 2.42.
Keller’s Analysis: This rating shows the ceiling for WWE these days outside of WrestleMania season and Summerslam season or a big show like a Superstar Shake-up. Giving away Reigns vs. Joe with a Summerslam title shot against Brock Lesnar at stake and a Kurt Angle mystery reveal, there’s little they could realistically do with their core roster to do more to draw a big rating. So popping a rating now tops out at 2.15 under these circumstances, and it’s still below what last year’s show this week drew. So it’s good it was the best rating since April, as anything short of that would have been a big disappointment, it shows it’s tough with a big show to get that many more people than usual to tune in.
There always seems to be an excuse for why WWE’s ratings are so poor. Well a sporting event was on, well we don’t count ratings like we did, well the sun was in their eyes. Same goes for house shows. Maybe the product is just stale?
I have not talked to anyone that thought the Angle’s son nonsense was a good angle. Not one. Most people I have talked to have said a great build up for no payoff. I agree with that. WWE has a history of not delivering and sometimes even dropping storylines in the middle of the storyline, they should have done that in this case. How many weeks of the fake son storyline are we going to see?
Many, many weeks and years to come. As far as their concerned, Eugene is still Eric Bischoff’s nephew.
Wow… a 2.15 rating?
I remember at the very end of the Monday Night Wars, WCW was doing better than that, while Raw was routinely pulling in 5’s.
My how times have changed.