25 Ways WWE Has Ruined Raw
1. The Third Hour
Raw's three-hour runtime has been a constant source of debate since its introduction. Made permanent in July 2012, the change has turned every episode of WWE's flagship show into a gruelling slog. Even when the content delivers, the fatigue is real.
The third hour regularly lags behind the preceding two in terms of viewership, with thousands dropping out before the show's conclusion, and it's no surprise that the show's average rating has slumped from 3.00 (2012) to just 2.17 (2017) since the change.
Creatively, WWE can't justify the additional 60 minutes. They still struggle to book around it, and the average episode of Raw is crammed with pointless filler. On top of this, WWE will often stretch other segments and matches to breaking point, as seen this past week, when we were 'treated' to an 11-minute Titus Worldwide bout.
Here's the thing, though: as tiresome of these three-hour Raws have become, WWE are never going back. A longer show means more room for commercials, and if they were to cut 60 minutes of weekly TV, they'd be forgoing advertising revenue. The move makes no sense from an economic standpoint, and thus, we're stuck with these marathons forever.