WWE Raw Ratings Report: Orton-Christian tease and Drew’s WWE Title at stake appears to affect retention of third hour viewers

Last night’s episode of Monday Night Raw (6/15) drew a 1.36 rating the day after the WWE Backlash PPV, up from last week’s 1.28. It’s the highest ratings since the 1.47 on May 11.

Raw opened with a first hour viewership of 1.996 million viewers, then drew to 1.996 million in the second hour, and dropped to 1.838 million in the third hour. It dropped 144,000 from the first to the third hour, nearly half of the average for 2020 so far. That dropoff has only been under 150,000 twice this year.

WWE weaved throughout Raw two key storylines that paid off in the third hour – Drew McIntyre agreeing to put his WWE Title on the line in a tag team match where his partner R-Truth getting pinned or submitting would cost him his own WWE Title and Christian confronting Randy Orton in an unsanctioned match at the end of the show. Those two hooks appeared to hold viewers better than usual over the course of three hours.

In the 18-49 demographic, Raw’s three hours finished no. 4, 6, and 7 in the cable rankings of all shows on Monday night. TLC’s “90 Day Fiance” and Bravo’s “Below the Deck” topped Raw.

One year ago this week Raw drew a 1.63 rating; two years ago it drew 1.97; three years ago it drew 2.05.

The 18-34 male demographic drew 0.27 last night, down from 0.60 one year ago this week.

In the 18-49 adult demographic, Raw drew 0.53 last night, down from 0.71 a year ago this week.

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