WWE RAW Draws Second-Lowest Viewership Of 2019 This Week
Monday's WWE RAW episode, featuring a much-hyped appearance by SmackDown Superstar Roman Reigns plus a returning Daniel Bryan vs. WWE Champion Kofi Kingston in the main event that also featured blue brand Superstars, drew an average of 2.244 million viewers, according to Showbuzz Daily.
This is up 4% from last week's 2.158 million viewers. It is the second-lowest viewership of 2019 and the third-lowest audience for a non-holiday RAW episode in history. Last week's RAW drew the lowest non-holiday red brand viewership in history, besides the 2018 New Year's Eve and 2018 Christmas Eve taped episodes, which drew 1.968 million and 1.775 million viewers.
RAW this week featured the introduction of Vince McMahon's Wild Card Rule as a way to help boost ratings. The rule led to two WrestleMania 35 rematches that were advertised early on in the show – Reigns vs. Drew McIntyre and then Kingston vs. Bryan in the main event.
For this week's show, the first hour drew 2.468 million viewers (last week's hour 1 – 2.336 million), the second hour drew 2.240 million viewers (last week's hour 2 – 2.241 million) and the final hour drew 2.024 million viewers (last week's hour 3 – 1.898 million).
RAW was #9 for the night in viewership on cable, behind the NBA Playoffs game between the Warriors and the Rockets, the NBA Playoffs game between the Bucks and the Celtics, Inside The NBA Playoffs, Hannity, Tucker Carlson Tonight, The Five, The Rachel Maddow Show and The Ingraham Angle. RAW was #4 in the 18-49 demographic on the Cable Top 150 this week, for the second week in a row, behind both NBA games and Inside The NBA Playoffs. The Rockets vs. Warriors game topped the night in the Cable Top 150 18-49 demographic and in viewership with 6.881 million viewers.
The Bachelorette Reunion on ABC drew 2.843 million viewers on broadcast TV in the 8pm hour while Big Bang Theory drew 5.103 million viewers on CBS, The Voice drew 7.270 million viewers on NBC, The Resident drew 5.014 million viewers on Fox and CW's DC Legends drew 937,000 viewers, all in the 8pm hour on broadcast TV.
This time last year RAW averaged 2.68 million viewers, so the audience was down 16% from this point in 2018.
Below is our 2019 RAW Viewership Tracker:
January 7 Episode: 2.324 million viewers
January 14 Episode: 2.722 million viewers
January 21 Episode: 2.462 million viewers
January 28 Episode: 2.703 million viewers (post-Royal Rumble episode)
February 4 Episode: 2.510 million viewers
February 11 Episode: 2.462 million viewers
February 18 Episode: 2.771 million viewers (post-Elimination Chamber episode)
February 25 Episode: 2.922 million viewers
March 4 Episode: 2.783 million viewers
March 11 Episode: 2.819 million viewers (post-Fastlane episode)
March 18 Episode: 2.695 million viewers
March 25 Episode: 2.589 million viewers
April 1 Episode: 2.639 million viewers
April 8 Episode: 2.923 million viewers (post-WrestleMania 35 episode)
April 15 Episode: 2.665 million viewers (Superstar Shakeup episode)
April 22 Episode: 2.374 million viewers
April 29 Episode: 2.158 million viewers
May 6 Episode: 2.244 million viewers
May 13 Episode:
2018 Total: 149.628 million viewers over 53 episodes
2018 Average: 2.823 million viewers per episode
2017 Total: 156.971 million viewers over 52 episodes
2017 Average: 3.018 million viewers per episode