WWE Raw Bounces Back Despite NBA Playoff Rivalry

• News
• wwe

In the wake of Seth Rollins's inaugural defense of the newly minted World Heavyweight Championship and the great ratings achieved by "WWE SmackDown" just three days earlier, this week's episode of "WWE Raw" held significant intrigue.

With no competition from the NBA playoffs, all eyes were on the Nielsen ratings, which delivered positive results, albeit not quite as astronomical as some may have anticipated after the historic "SmackDown." According to reliable sources such as Wrestlenomics on their Twitter and Patreon platforms, the June 5 edition of "Raw" attracted an average of 1,828,000 viewers throughout its three-hour broadcast, representing a 13% surge from the previous week.

Of these viewers, 726,000 fell within the coveted 18 to 49 age group, which advertisers value highly, marking a 6% increase from the preceding week. This translates to a commendable 0.56 rating among adults aged 18 to 49, surpassing all other cable originals and broadcast prime-time shows of the day, narrowly edging out the 0.54 rating achieved by the Stanley Cup Finals game airing on TNT, according to ShowBuzzDaily.

Raw's Record-Breaking Viewership Peaks

Notably, this viewership figure stands the highest since the post-WrestleMania episode on April 3, showcasing the enduring appeal and popularity of "WWE Raw" among fans. Departing from the usual patterns, the show's third hour outperformed the first hour in the crucial 18 to 49 demographic.

This can likely be attributed to the excitement and anticipation surrounding Seth Rollins' inaugural title defense against Damian Priest, which served as the thrilling main event and concluded the show on a high note. For a more comprehensive analysis, the Wrestlenomics Patreon page meticulously tracks the performance of "Raw" across various demographics compared to the four-week median.

By this measure, no drastic deviations were observed, with all demographics falling within Nielsen's stated margin of error of 10%, except for one notable exception: female viewers of all age groups outside the 18 to 49 bracket, who exhibited a remarkable 16% increase compared to the median.

Conversely, the only groups to display a decline in viewership relative to the median were female viewers aged 18 to 49 and 35 to 49, both experiencing a modest 4% drop. The 18 to 34 age group witnessed a 3% decline. In conclusion, "WWE Raw" demonstrated resilience and drew solid viewership numbers despite the absence of NBA playoff competition.

The enthusiastic response to Seth Rollins' championship defense and the lack of significant deviations in the show's performance across demographics affirms the enduring appeal and popularity of WWE's flagship program.