The combination of the 25th anniversary of DX, a post-Extreme Rules bump, and the expectation of Bray Wyatt appearing led to Raw doing by far its best numbers since football season started.
Last night's Raw averaged 1.82 million viewers overall and drew a 0.55 rating in 18-49. As is usual for the bringing back nostalgia acts, it's actually the younger audience not the older audience that increases the most.
The audience was up 14 percent in viewers from last week, but up 37 percent in 18-49 and up 48 percent in 18-34.
Raw finished fifth behind the Las Vegas Raiders vs. Kansas City Chiefs NFL game that did 15.79 million viewers and a 4.65 in 18-49 on ESPN, which is a great rating and makes the Raw number even more impressive. Raw also finished behind the postgame show, the kickoff show, and SportsCenter after the postgame show.
Raw finished fifth behind the same shows in women 18-49, sixth (also behind the NFL Countdown show) in men 18-49, fifth in 18-34, fifth in women 12-34, and fifth in men 12-34. It finished 13th in total viewers behind only NFL and news related shows.
As compared to last year, Raw was up 15 percent in viewers, up 32 percent in 18-49, and up 42 percent in 18-34. If you factor in cable losing homes over the last year, the real ratings percentage increases figured internally by the station would be up 20 percent in viewers, up 40 percent in 18-49, and up 48 percent in 18-34.
Because DX was kept for last, and no live Wyatt stuff was in the first two hours, the third hour drop was less than usual. Women 18-49 dropped seven percent from the first to third hour. Men 18-49 also dropped seven percent. Females 12-34 stayed even and males 12-34 dropped five percent, while people over 50 dropped nine percent.
The three hours were:
- 8 pm. 1.88 million viewers
- 9 p.m. 1.89 million viewers
- 10 p.m. 1.70 million viewers
Raw drew by far its best numbers since the start of football season.
www.f4wonline.com
