SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
The Nov. 18 episode of WWE Monday Night Raw on USA Network drew a 1.55 rating, up from last week’s 1.44 (up against an unusually dramatic and marquee NFL game, which took a chunk of Raw viewers, it seems) back to the typical range in the prior two weeks (1.54, 1.53). It’s still below the ten week rolling average of 1.61 and among the lowest non-holiday ratings of all-time for Raw.
Hourly viewership started at 2.245, dropped to 2.211 in the second hour, and then 1.925 in the third hour. It was the fourth week in a row the third hour of Raw dropped below two million viewers, and the fifth out of the last six weeks. That happened two previous times this year on non-holiday Mondays, and had not dipped the low otherwise in Raw’s history of having a third hour. The first-to-third hour drop-off was 320,000, in line with the yearly average of 323,000.
This week last year Raw drew a 1.68 rating, two years ago a 2.14, and three years ago a 2.14.
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ALways using the NFL as an excuse. Always an excuse. MNF was been on every year Raw has been on. Why didn’t it effect the ratings much back then? Someone will say ratings are calculated differently now, there are cord cutters, more options, but those are all weak arguments because we are talking ratings vs ratings. The ratings of MNF vs. Raw at different times over the years. Raw when it was drawing 6’s didn’t blame MNF.
You could also make the argument that back then MNF was on network television and available to far more households than it is now. Good point.