Raw Rating: Big drop-off during show, third hour hurt by lack of overrun and unannounced main event, comparisons to NFL and other cable competition

The Nov. 12 edition of WWE Raw on USA Network drew a 1.72 rating among live and same-night-DVR viewers, up from the 1.70 last week and down from 1.74 two weeks earlier. Raw’s hourly viewership: 2.761 million, 2.446 million, and 2.142 million.

The drop from the first-to-third hour was 619,000, the biggest drop since the Feb. 19 episode. The elimination of the overrun as part of the third hour viewership was a big blow to Raw’s viewership total in that third hour. WWE didn’t announce a main event match, which also may have cost Raw viewers. They went with an unannounced Bayley vs. Sasha Banks match and the Smackdown “invasion” angle with Becky Lynch and Co.

Raw’s three hours finished in the no. 7, 8, and 9 spots in cables rankings among the 18-49 key demo, behind VH1’s “Love and Hip Hop” (no. 4) and three NFL related programs on ESPN (nos. 1, 2, 3).

One year ago Raw drew a 2.14 rating, and two years ago Raw drew a 1.98 rating.

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The ten week rolling average for Raw is 1.72. The 2018 average so far is 2.01, down rom the year-ago average to this point of 2.09.

The NFL Monday Night Football game drew 10.501 million viewers, compared to Raw’s best hour which drew 2.761 million. Paw Patrol on Nickelodeon knocked on the door of surpassing Raw’s third hour in total viewers (1.987 vs. 2.142). Overall, Raw’s three hours in total viewers ranked behind the three ESPN programs and “Tucker Carlson” on Fox News, finishing no. 5, 6, and 7.

RELATED: Raw length to be trimmed, Raw ratings on brink of dropping below key level for year, big drop-off on third hour this week