Raw ratings for show built toward Orton summoning The Fiend, key demo data, year-to-year comparisons, NCAA competition, cable ranking, more

This week’s episode of WWE Monday Night Raw on USA Network drew a 1.28 rating, the lowest number since Feb. 15 and 0.3 below the 2021 average so far of 1.31. It down from last week’s 1.33.

In the key 18-49 adult demo, Raw drew a 0.66 rating. Raw has dropped five-straight weeks with ratings in that key demo of 0.76, 0.74, 0.73, and 0.71 leading into this week’s additional drop. One year ago this week in that demo, Raw drew a 0.79 rating.

Among all cable shows in the 18-49 demo, Raw finished in spots no. 4, 5, and 6, behind NCAA Basketball Tournament games on TNT and TBS. In recent weeks, Raw had held the top three positions.

WWE presumably would have received a post-PPV bump, but that was mitigated by the NCAA tournament being stronger-than-usual competition in that demo, although it was close with basketball drawing demo ratings of 0.62, 0.56, and 0.56, barely above the 0.53 Raw’s first two hours drew. Raw drew a 0.52 in the third hour in that key demo.

Aong men 18-34, Raw drew a 0.27, down from 0.35 last week and 0.41 the prior week. It drew 0.46 one year ago this week in that demo. That’s a sharp year-over-year dropoff. Among men 18-49, Raw drew a 0.64, down from 0.73 last week and way down from the 0.95 it drew a year ago this week.

Raw built around Randy Orton summoning The Fiend in the final segment. Raw held its audience more than usual, with a first-to-third hour dropoff of just 149,00 compared to the 205,000 average year-to-date coming into this week.