SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
WWE Monday Night Raw continued its viewership decline, dropping to a 1.24 rating last night, down from the April average of 1.39 and the previous two weeks’ ratings of 1.33 and 1.31. It’s easily the lowest non-h0liday rating for Raw ever, and the only rating lower was on Dec. 23, 2019, on the eve of Christmas Eve.
The first hour drew 1.807 million viewers, the second hour 1.691 million viewers, and the third hour 1.560 million viewers. That’s the lowest viewership total for any hour of Raw in history, headlined by Drew McIntyre vs. Murphy.
If there’s a bright side, the drop-off from the first to the third hour was 247,000 lower than the 316,000 this year heading into this week and the 323,000 average for 2019. With a smaller audience starting, though, the percentage drop-off isn’t that much different than prior averages before the pre-COVID-19 era slide.
In the male 18-34 demographic, Raw drew a 0.23 rating, half of the March 23 rating in that demo. Older viewers are sticking around in higher percentages as the male 18-49 demo has dropped from 0.79 on March 23 to 0.57. Most of the loss is among the younger demo. AEW Dynamite over that same time period has dropped from 0.23 to 0.16 and NXT has dropped from 0.18 to 0.09 in the male 18-49 demo.
Among all cable shows, Raw finished in positions no. 3, 4, and 6 in the 18-49 demographic, with VH1’s “Love & Hip Hop Atlanta” and TLC’s “90 Day Fiance” topping the charts, with “Star Wars” May the 4th Be With You” on TBS landing at no. 5. News show viewership is dropping off, with only seven of the top 25 shows being news channels.
If you were watching #WWERaw & #SmackDown own earlier this year but aren't now, is there a primary reason?
— Wade Keller (@thewadekeller) May 5, 2020
WWE Programming is garbage plain and simple and viewers are tuning out. People do not care anymore.