Good evening, wrestling enthusiasts, we’ve got some numbers to crunch for you. Dive into the world of pro wrestling viewership and the crucial role these figures play in the business.
Last Monday’s edition of WWE Raw drew an average of 1,476,000 viewers, down slightly from the previous week’s 1,483,000 viewers on USA Network. However, not everything spells doom, as Raw increased its performance in the key 18-49 demographic with a rating of 0.46, up from last week’s 0.44.
These figures, however, are thrown into sharp relief when compared with other popular sports broadcasts occurring concurrently. The high-profile Monday Night Football game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Minnesota Vikings, for instance, dwarfed Raw’s numbers by drawing in a staggering 10,202,000 viewers on ABC, 7,344,000 on ESPN, and a further 1,068,000 on ESPN2.
However, it’s crucial to note that this sporting event had an impact on all other programs airing at the same time, not just Raw. The 2023 MLB Playoffs ALCS Game 7 between the Texas Rangers and the Houston Astros also felt the heat, drawing in just over 6,771,000 viewers on Fox – again, significantly higher than Raw.
These numbers indeed make for interesting comparisons against Raw’s numbers from this time last year. On October 24, 2022, Raw drew 1,641,000 viewers and a 0.45 rating, and on October 25, 2021, Raw drew 1,659,000 viewers with a 0.37 rating – both slightly higher than the current figures.
To further break down last Monday’s Raw viewership by the hour, the show started off with 1,576,000 viewers at 8 PM, which saw a minor decrease to 1,514,000 viewers by 9 PM, and by 10 PM, the number had sunk to 1,347,000 viewers, according to SportsTVRatings.
Though wrestling fanatics might be concerned about a declining Raw audience, it’s important to remember that television viewership is a tricky beast, influenced by a vast range of factors – including, quite prominently this week, competitive sports programming. Despite the decrease, the increase in the 18-49 demographic rating signifies potential for growth and reignites hope in the wrestling world.
Stay tuned for more updates on wrestling viewership trends and how they impact the twists and turns of this thrilling business.
