10 Decisions That Helped Kill WWE Raw's Ratings

10. Moving To TNN

Once of WWE's main sources of revenue comes from TV contracts. The networks on which WWE programming airs actually pay them for the rights to broadcast their shows, which - even in lean times - are typically among the highest-watched content on cable.

In 2000 - when Raw was still crushing all competition in the ratings - WWE's contract with the USA Network was coming to a close. USA had been the exclusive home of Raw since the show's debut in January of 1993, but with the show making ratings history, the company could command a greater payout for the broadcast rights. There was a bidding war, and TNN won. Raw moved to the network on 25 September 2000.

WWE was getting a lot of money from TNN as part of the new contract, but the network switch caused irreparable damage to the show's ratings. TNN was available in far fewer homes than USA, and wrestling fans are creatures of habit - scheduling changes usually hurt ratings.

Over the next few years, TNN would attempt to get more mainstream with the "Spike TV" rebranding, but it never became as strong as USA, and Raw's ratings showed it.