Ratings for WWE Raw continue to plummet week after week and are currently setting record lows. Its an ugly truth that should have those in positions of power scrambling to steady the ship, but instead it seems as if the company is doubling down on all of the things that have caused this problem in the first place. The stubbornness of Vince McMahon can never be overstated, but historically the chairman has produced his tightest product whenever his back has been firmly against the wall. Some of the factors contributing to the declining ratings are, admittedly, out of the WWEs hands, but many of them are solely the fault of those in charge. Is it time to press the panic button or have we reached an era where the audience simply is what it is? Are there are any steps the promotion can take to get things back on the right track? Lets talk about it. I have looked at Raw and examined the reasons why WWE's flagship show has been crashing in the ratings. The following are just some ideas on how to at least apply some band-aids to try and stanch the bleeding.
11. Competition For Viewers
Were going to ease into this by covering a couple of factors that WWE has no control over. The first of these is the massive amount of programming vying for the short attention spans of the viewing public. It often gets overlooked, but one of the reasons the Attitude Era numbers are such a distant memory is because there were literally hundreds fewer channels for people to turn to. In addition to that, internet streaming services have opened up an entirely new avenue for viewers to get their TV fix. WWE is no longer only competing with traditional channels on Monday nights but now they have to go up against the juggernaut that is Netflix (and chill), as well as the various other over-the-top services. We as a public are pretty much drowning in options. Theres no real way to combat this other than to try and make your program as compelling as possible, and thats something WWE seems to have an extremely difficult time doing these days (save for the scattered standout Raw every few months).
Brad Hamilton is a writer, musician and marketer/social media manager from Atlanta, Georgia. He's an undefeated freestyle rap battle champion, spends too little time being productive and defines himself as the literary version of Brock Lesnar.
