Here’s Why We Shouldn’t Worry About Raw’s Ratings

WWE Monday Night Raw is going through a yo-yo effect. Two weeks ago, Raw experienced a sharp decline in viewership, down to 2.46 million viewers, only to rebound last week to 2.79 million. Yesterday saw another decline, reaching only 2.75 million viewers.

While this could be a cause for concern in creative, it was something that could have easily been anticipated.

The decline in ratings experienced two weeks ago can easily be explained by the first United States Presidential Debate, which aired live during the same time slot. Whether viewers were tuning in to hear the issues or to watch the continuing drama unfold between the two candidates, we’ll never know; either way, folks found the debate to be more of a draw.

To be fair, presidential elections only happen every four years. And this year we have a candidate who is different than any other in our nation’s history. I’m sure WWE expected to lose some viewers.

Basically, last week’s rebound, and this week’s decrease, shouldn’t be cause for alarm. Raw’s audience only dropped by 40,000 viewers, a mere 1.5% decrease in ratings in relation to the week prior.

httpss://youtube.com/watch?v=p3tp2S76tZo

Finally, the American League Division Series and National League Division Series were also pulling eyes away from the WWE’s weekly programming. These are extenuating circumstances, with a hotly-contested presidential debate bumping up against Major League Baseball playoffs. Something’s got to give.

With the World Series right around the corner and the NFL in full swing, and with the NHL and NBA gearing up to kickoff their seasons very soon, there are bound to be further disruptions in viewership. However, in November, I would expect a return to normalcy for the WWE.