Raw Rating Report: Viewership rebounds day after Money in the Bank for episode that advertised Becky confronting Asuka and an Edge-Orton meeting

Last night’s episode of WWE Monday Night Raw drew a 1.46 rating, up from last week’w 1.24 rating. It was the highest rating since the day after WrestleMania, which drew a 1.51. It’s the third highest rating of the empty-arena era.

Raw aired the day after a novel Money in the Bank PPV and began with a buzz-generating announcement that Becky Lynch was relinquishing her WWE Raw Women’s Title because she was pregnant. WWE had also been advertising Edge and Randy Orton would be on this episode, and that could have contributed to the viewership rebound, also. Raw’s star power has been weak lately, and Becky, Edge, and Orton being advertised could have helped bring some viewers back.

One year ago this week, Raw drew a 1.68 rating. It drew a 1.92 rating two years ago and a 1.75 rating three years ago this week. The 1.46 is down 0.22 from one year ago. The drop-off last year compared to the prior year was 0.24. So the drop in viewership, in that context, doesn’t look as stark when it comes to attributing it to the empty-arena setting.

In last night’s key demographics, Raw increased among men 18-34 to 0.34, up from 0.23 the prior week, but still elbow the 0.39 and 0.38 the first two weeks of April during the empty-arena era. Raw’s 18-49 demo ratings landed it in three of the top four spots in Monday cable ratings, although it’s total viewership was less than half of three other shows in the top 15.

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