Why WWE Has Lost 1 Million Viewers

This year's 'Showcase Of The Immortals' was one of WWE's most fan-focused in years. Becky Lynch, Seth Rollins, and Kofi Kingston all walked out as babyface World Champions after major wins over pushed uber-heels. There were hometown (or hometown-adjacent) victories for Curt Hawkins and Zack Ryder, Carmella, and more. Sure, Kurt Angle got flattened on his way out, Triple H vs. Batista felt glacial, and the show was entirely too long, but its booking was largely calibrated for pops.

So why, then, have post-WrestleMania Raw and SmackDown ratings cratered in the aftermath of what should've been a re-energising show, even for the most cynical WWE Universe members?

Before we begin, a deconstruction of the counterarguments.

The first of these is that Raw's decline doesn't matter because it was still the number one rated cable show in the country. Choosing this hill to die on reeks of WWE apologism, because nobody within the promotion is comforted by news that they're outdoing sitcom repeats and late-night talk shows. Yes, TV ratings are sliding across the board, but the real story is that WWE have haemorrhaged 1 million viewers in a single year. Your competitors' inability to maintain a steady audience doesn't excuse your own, particularly when yours is demonstrably worse.

That cable numbers are slumping everywhere is another popular counterargument, but here's the thing about that one: WWE's are cratering at a faster rate than anything else.

CONT'd...