SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
Just last week, WWE showed they have the power to increase viewership, but they also showed this week how fleeting that increase can be.
The Raw Reunion special on July 22 drew over 600,000 more viewers than the prior week each hour. This week, the second and third hours of Raw were significantly down from not only the Reunion show, but also the pre-Reunion show.
Raw, on average, this week drew 140,000 fewer viewers per hour than the Raw before the Reunion. The Reunion episode brought back 600,000 viewers who don’t typically watch, but not only didn’t entice them to come back this week, they also drove away around 140,000 more.
Raw’s rating this week, 1.65, was below the pre-Reunion episode two weeks ago of 1.72. Raw Reunion itself drew a 2.12 rating. In other words, the Raw Reunion format failed to do anything other than pop a rating one week.
One year ago Raw drew a 2.00 rating and two years ago Raw drew a 2.12 rating.
Raw this week drew a first hour viewership of 2.407 million, down from 3.019 million and in line with the first hour rating two weeks ago of 2.379.
The second hour this week drew 2.324 million viewers, down 854,000 from last week’s 3.178 million viewers, and well below the 2.503 million viewers two weeks ago.
The third hour this week drew 2.233 million viewers, down 850,000 viewers from last week’s 3.803 million viewers, and well below the 2.478 million viewers two weeks ago.
The average rating of any hour of Raw the 12 weeks before the Raw reunion was 2.317 million viewers. This week’s hourly average was 2.321 million. So Raw Reunion had a net-zero affect on viewership compared to what would have been expected had they not had a special episode that drew over 600,000 extra viewers each hour last week.
In the target demo of 18-49 year old adults, Raw finished behind “Love & Hip Hop Atlanta” on VH1, which drew a 0.9 rating. Raw’s three hours finished in positions no. 2, 3, and 4 with ratings of 0.8 0.8, and 0.7. Three shows followed with 0.6 ratings, which means the third hour Raw was at risk of dropping as far down as seventh place.
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Called it! Not that it was a tough call to make. XD LOL!!!!!
I might never watch another WWE show again. Raw reunion was atrocious and it just goes to show you how WWE can’t develop new stars when their highest ratings come from nostalgia shows. What a cesspool.