WWE Raw Slumps To Non-Holiday Record Low Rating
Raw hits new nadir.
This week's episode of Monday Night Raw slumped to yet another drastic low for a non-holiday edition, recording an average of just 2.16 million viewers [Source: Wrestling Observer].
The numbers are an all-time record low for the show outside football season, only, erm, 'worsted' by the recent Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve episodes.
Raw hit a non-football season nadir last week, with just 2.37 million views. That those numbers have dropped by a colossal 9% will be the cause of even further alarm in WWE Head Office.
Monday's episode saw a dramatic drop between the first and third hours, the show ending with just 1.9 million people tuned in.
The almost-good news is that Raw ended the night as the eighth most watched show on cable, only bested by NBA and news programming. The NBA playoffs themselves were down 18.3% from this time last year, pointing towards a general decline in television viewership.
Nevertheless, the extent to Raw's tail-off far outstrips its rivals.
This past week, Vince McMahon blamed the company's poor Q1 financials on a spate of injuries to top stars. He might roll out that excuse again for the fall in viewership, but at some point, WWE will have to face facts.