Originally published at https://www.postwrestling.com/2020/10/06/wwe-raw-falls-against-two-nfl-games-finishes-sixth-on-cable/
WWE Raw faced one of its toughest nights of 2020 going against two NFL games that saw Raw fall in its viewership while staying above 1.6 million viewers.
The three-hour show averaged 1,686,000 viewers, which place it as the fifth-lowest of 2020. Despite the heavy competition, their overall viewership decline was 7.5 percent. In the 18-49 demographic, the show did a 0.52 rating, which was down 5.5 percent but finished sixth among all cable programming.
The NFL featured the Kansas City Chiefs and New England Patriots broadcast on CBS with 14,602,000 viewers tuning in. On ESPN, the Atlanta Falcons vs. Green Bay Packers topped the cable charts with 8,652,000 viewers and a 2.92 demographic figure. There was also an MLB playoff game between the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays that did 2,330,000 viewers and was fourth for the night on cable.
Raw was hit in its 50+ audience where the show declined 12.5 percent to a 0.77 rating, its lowest in that demographic since the July 13th episode, which was Raw’s lowest overall viewership of the modern era.
The first hour of Raw averaged 1,791,000 viewers and then fell 7 percent to 1,666,000 in hour two, and another drop of 4 percent with the third hour averaging 1,601,000. The first to third-hour drop was 10.5 percent.
The week-to-week declines were not as severe as adults over 50 dropped 12.5 percent, women 12-34 declines 12 percent, and adults 18-34 decreased by 9 percent. A bright spot was males 12-34 increasing by 12 percent and stuck around most of the show with a minimal 3 percent drop in the third hour from hour one.
Women 12-34 dropped by 19 percent in the third hour, which was the largest loss throughout the show followed by females 18-49 declining by 13 percent and the main 18-49 demo down 12.5 percent in the final hour.
The episode of Raw from this week in 2019 averaged 2,334,000 viewers with a 0.75 in the 18-49 demographic. That week’s episode went against Monday Night Football that did 11,125,000 viewers and two Major League Baseball playoff games.
This week’s episode advertised a six-man tag with Drew McIntyre & The Street Profits vs. Randy Orton, Bobby Roode & Dolph Ziggler along with Bray Wyatt appearing on The Kevin Owens Show throughout the weekend. Late Monday afternoon, they announced Nia Jax & Shayna Baszler vs. Ruby Riott & Liv Morgan for the show, as well.
Here is a breakdown of the key demographics and the first to third-hour changes:
Source: Showbuzz Daily
ADULTS 18-49
This week: 0.52 (-5.5 percent)
Hour 1-3: -12.5 percent
FEMALES 18-49
This week: 0.42 (-4.5 percent)
Hour 1-3: -13 percent
MALES 18-49
This week: 0.63 (-4.5 percent)
Hour 1-3: -12 percent
ADULTS 18-34
This week: 0.31 (-9 percent)
Hour 1-3: -9 percent
FEMALES 12-34
This week: 0.22 (-12 percent)
Hour 1-3: -19 percent
MALES 12-34
This week: 0.37 (+12 percent)
Hour 1-3: -3 percent
ADULTS 25-54
This week: 0.63 (-3 percent)
Hour 1-3: -12 percent
ADULTS 50+
This week: 0.77 (-12.5 percent)
Hour 1-3: -8.5 percent