Originally published at WWE Raw posts second-largest audience during NFL season
WWE Raw saw a growth in its overall viewership with its second-largest audience against Monday Night Football this season.
The December 18 episode from Des Moines, Iowa, averaged 1,562,000 viewers and 626,000 (0.47) in the 18-49 demographic, per Brandon Thurston of Wrestlenomics.
The show aired against the Monday Night Football game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Seattle Seahawks averaged 19,361,000 viewers across ABC, ESPN & ESPN 2, per Sports TV Ratings.
It was nearly identical to the football audience last week spread out across two games airing simultaneously that averaged 19,649,000 viewers.
For Raw, it was the show’s largest viewership since November 27 following the Survivor Series, and second highest since September 4. The audience was up by 7% from last week’s average.
The show opened with 1,639,000 viewers and 638,000 in the 18-49 demographic in the first hour and was steady in the second hour with 1,629,000 viewers and 631,000 in the demo. In the third hour, the show dropped 13% in viewers to 1,419,000 and fell 4% in the demo to 608,000.
The 18-49 audience grew by 2% from last week. Males in the demo grew from 413,000 to 441,000 while women decreased from 200,000 to 184,000.
Adults 18-34 grew by 5% to 256,000 due to females in the demo growing by 14% while males were flat from the week prior.
Adults 35-49 even from last week with men in the demo growing 11% and women falling by 23%.
In Canada, Raw averaged 279,000 viewers and 124,900 in the 25-54 demographic on Sportsnet 360 with viewership down by 3% and the demo growing by 13% from last week. Raw ranked fifth among sports in Canada on Monday behind the Montreal Canadiens vs. Winnipeg Jets (French and English broadcasts), Monday Night Football, and the Toronto Raptors vs. Charlotte Hornets.