WWE Raw on Syfy posts largest 18-49 audience since night after WrestleMania 40

Originally published at WWE Raw on Syfy posts largest 18-49 audience since night after WrestleMania 40

The post-SummerSlam edition of Raw scored its largest 18-49 audience since the night after WrestleMania 40.

The August 5 episode in Baltimore averaged 1,724,000 viewers and 818,000 (0.62) in the 18-49 demographic, per PW Torch & Wrestlenomics.

Despite airing on Syfy, the show hit its largest 18-49 audience since April 8 following WrestleMania 40 and increased by 21% over last week’s key demo audience, which also aired on Syfy.

It was Raw’s third largest 18-49 audience of the year, which is even more impressive given it aired on Syfy rather than the USA Network. It suggests that the number would have been higher if it aired on its regular network.

Overall viewership increased by 22% over last week’s audience while airing against coverage of the Summer Olympics, which we don’t have data for yet.

The first hour, which aired commercial-free, averaged 1,852,000 viewers.

In the second hour, the show averaged 1,742,000 viewers and dropped to 1,579,000 viewers featuring the in-ring debut of The Wyatt Sicks in the main event.

The show also performed well in Canada with the show attracting 389,600 viewers and its largest audience in the country since March 18.

Raw returns to the USA Network next Monday with an episode from Austin, Texas.

 

As if it wasn’t already apparent, The Olympics have signaled the end of wrestling ratings meaning anything…

Collision goes up against Opening Ceremonies and then hits an all-time low the following week. Raw moves to a different network and does its best 18-49 since Mania. AEW is having its two worst quarters since 2020 and is likely about to announce an increased rights deal.

Not a knock on those whose job it is to report. But the folks who brag about these kind of things on the Internet are going to need to find a new hobby.

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I also think reporting ratings after each show is a thing from 1996 to 2001 and shouldnt produce any headlines anymore. I never see TV Show fans discuss ratings on a weekly basis rather they discuss current and future plotlines.

Ratings matter in the sense that they attribute value to a television show which has a direct connection in how the show is financially compensated by the network. So for a journalist to report on ratings makes sense. With that said, what’s stupid and pathetic is when wrestling fans on either side use ratings for bragging rights against “the other side”.

When the Wed night wars first started, I loved it. It was fun to see who was winning, who was on who’s heels etc. Then fans ruined it by taking it wayyyyyy to seriously as it just leads to nasty fights and insane arrogance on social media.

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As evidenced by my comments here, I am interested in the ratings as one metric. The industry values them, so if you want to follow the business side of wrestling, they are an undeniable factor. And obviously, higher is better than lower and going up is better than going down (regardless of how much it really means).

But overall, using the ratings to decide who is “winning” (a stupid conversation to begin with) is like deciding which basketball team is better by looking at who made more three-pointers. It probably correlates more often than not, but it’s not the lone – or most important – factor.

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My favorite football team plays in the second division in Germany yet it is place 5 in attendance when it comes to their home games. Noone would say we are the 5th best/successfull team in German Football.

With all due respect, this is apples to oranges. In sports “success” is usually defined by fans as winning, and by owners by net profit. I unerstand what your analogy proves or disproves.