WWE: Raw average 5 million viewers

[The X]

http://www.pwmania.com/wwe-speculate...iewership-news

I know ratings don't really tell the whole story, but wow. 2nd hour was over 5

[Mbellz3o8]

Rock brs ratings.... Didn't RAW just have like only 2.5 million viewers a few months ago ?lol

[Im_in_Mia_bish]

wow...

[LionsFan..LOL]

Rock really does bring eyes to the product, although as mentioned by someone else in the Raw thread lack of competition also helps.

Also they were coming off of one of WWE's biggest PPVs so a lot of people would tune in anyway.

[Wrigheyes4MVP]

Rock is great for the company no matter what people think...even if you are not a fan of his...and I am not.

[Driven]

Rock brs ratings.... Didn't RAW just have like only 2.5 million viewers a few months ago ?lol

No, you might be thinking of a 2.5 rating. That's not the number of viewers.

RAW did a 3.63 rating. I'e also read that it was a 3.7. Which is huge for them and it's the largest since RAW 1,000. BUT, don't credit this solely on the Rock. Ratings are always up this time of year. And ratings for this RAW (the one after the Rumble are always huge). Last year, this same RAW did a 3.55. The year before it did a 3.5. The year before that it did a 3.63. (without Rock). His title win obviously put them over that mark. But I think all-around the WWE is doing much better this year than last. And really, this rating is great news for WWE, but it's not too out of the norm.

But, with that said, they have to be happy to have done it on a 3 hour RAW, something those other shows were not. At the end of the day though, this isn't as huge as what people are making it out to be.

Rock isn't that big of a tv ratings draw for RAW since he returned. What he does is increase buy rates and attendance and exposure. We will see how big of an effect he had when the Royal Rumble buy rate comes in. I'm expecting over 550,000.

[The X]

No Monday night football

[Driven]

No Monday night football

You can't compare this RAW to past RAWs, especially ones from months ago. You compare this RAW to the previous years equivalent.

[Driven]

His title win obviously put them over that mark.

I'm going to expand on this quickly. There's two parts to this - the Rock and the title (as well as potentially Punk losing the title). You can attribute the extra rating points to Rock, but you're forgetting about the title. Ratings are always increased by a major title switch. Remember when Edge won the title at New Year's Revolution and then RAW did an absolutely monster rating the next night? For the same reason. The title is a draw. The last time a major title changed at a Rumble was 2009, and that was the Smackdown title.

People generally tune into the RAW after the Rumble because of the Rumble itself. This time they tuned in because of that and another huge match, one with a title change.

[Knowledge]

No, you might be thinking of a 2.5 rating. That's not the number of viewers.

RAW did a 3.63 rating. I'e also read that it was a 3.7. Which is huge for them and it's the largest since RAW 1,000. BUT, don't credit this solely on the Rock. Ratings are always up this time of year. And ratings for this RAW (the one after the Rumble are always huge). Last year, this same RAW did a 3.55. The year before it did a 3.5. The year before that it did a 3.63. (without Rock). His title win obviously put them over that mark. But I think all-around the WWE is doing much better this year than last. And really, this rating is great news for WWE, but it's not too out of the norm.

But, with that said, they have to be happy to have done it on a 3 hour RAW, something those other shows were not. At the end of the day though, this isn't as huge as what people are making it out to be.

Rock isn't that big of a tv ratings draw for RAW since he returned. What he does is increase buy rates and attendance and exposure. We will see how big of an effect he had when the Royal Rumble buy rate comes in. I'm expecting over 550,000.

Comparing years without the context of the cards is kind of unfair. Example: The WM before Rock's return, WM 26, had some legit matches/names to interest people (both in the buildup and for the ppv itself). You had:

Y2J vs Edge (WHC) *
HBk vs Taker (Streak vs Career) *
Bret Hart vs VKM *
Cena vs Batista (WWE Championshp) *
Mysterio vs Punk
HHH vs Sheamus
ShoMiz vs R-Truth/Morrison
Orton vs Legacy
MIB match (won by Swagger)
Divas match

I put star next to the matches that would get people excited. Guys like Orton, Miz and Big Show (ShoMiz), R-Triuth and Morrison, HHH, were all in the first 4 matches.

Now look at WM27's card (No Y2J):

Cena vs Miz (wwe championship)
Taker vs HHH (not the same hype as the year before) *
Orton vs Punk
Lawler vs Cole
The Core vs Kane, Show, Santino, and Kofi
Rhodes vs Mysterio
Edge vs ADR (?)
Snookie, Trish, Morrison vs Dolph and LayCool

The only match that was a seller was HHH vs Taker, which didn't have the same hype as HBK vs Taker with it being HBK's last match (or because HBK > HHH). Maybe the Edge vs ADR match interested people? Punk was still a mid carder so Orton vs Punk didn't do much.

No way this card should be a WM card, no way this card should draw anyone's interest, and no way this card/ the raws leading up to it do as well without Rock.

[Driven]

Comparing years without the context of the cards is kind of unfair. Example: The WM before Rock's return, WM 26, had some legit matches/names to interest people (both in the buildup and for the ppv itself). You had:

Y2J vs Edge (WHC) *
HBk vs Taker (Streak vs Career) *
Bret Hart vs VKM *
Cena vs Batista (WWE Championshp) *
Mysterio vs Punk
HHH vs Sheamus
ShoMiz vs R-Truth/Morrison
Orton vs Legacy
MIB match (won by Swagger)
Divas match

I put star next to the matches that would get people excited. Guys like Orton, Miz and Big Show (ShoMiz), R-Triuth and Morrison, HHH, were all in the first 4 matches.

Now look at WM27's card (No Y2J):

Cena vs Miz (wwe championship)
Taker vs HHH (not the same hype as the year before) *
Orton vs Punk
Lawler vs Cole
The Core vs Kane, Show, Santino, and Kofi
Rhodes vs Mysterio
Edge vs ADR (?)
Snookie, Trish, Morrison vs Dolph and LayCool

The only match that was a seller was HHH vs Taker, which didn't have the same hype as HBK vs Taker with it being HBK's last match (or because HBK > HHH). Maybe the Edge vs ADR match interested people? Punk was still a mid carder so Orton vs Punk didn't do much.

No way this card should be a WM card, no way this card should draw anyone's interest, and no way this card/ the raws leading up to it do as well without Rock.

I don't even know how this is even remotely relevant to anything. None of this has absolutely anything to do with any of these post-Rumble ratings. I mean it has nothing at all.

But a side note - Cole vs. Lawler was a huge draw.

[Driven]

I mean, Hell, ratings don't even correlate to PPV buys, so I really have no idea what you're trying to say. And Wrestlemania builds haven't even begun by the Rumble.

[Sanyo]

Raw ratings from about the Rumble to the Raw after Mania always usually outperform. Then they sink like a stone usually for the other 9.5 months.

[Knowledge]

I don't even know how this is even remotely relevant to anything. None of this has absolutely anything to do with any of these post-Rumble ratings. I mean it has nothing at all.

But a side note - Cole vs. Lawler was a huge draw.

Let me ask a question: How is it relevant to try to compare the ratings of raw in prior years when they just started doing 3hr raw shows full time within the last year? Especially when you look at how putrid the ratings were for a lot of those shows minus the 1000th Raw. They have hit some all time lows since July. The raw after the RR has typically drawn well, but this year the circumstances were a different.

Back to my original point:
Note that I said example in the beginning of that post. It was an example of how Rock can improve the ratings leading up to a ppv and increase ppv buys.

Rock came back for WM27 (which is why I'm comparing WMs), which had an inferior card to WM26, but still managed to outsell WM26. Rock does boost ratings/ppv. He isn't the savior some believe him to be, nor is he the sole reason the last raw did over 5 million viewers, but I doubt a 3 hour raw without Rock does that well.

Also ratings show interest in the product, if ratings are super low, it would be insane to expect ppv to be high. In other words, if the demand for your product isn't high, how can that be good for your business (in this case ppv buys)?

[Pinstripe power]

Rock brs ratings.... Didn't RAW just have like only 2.5 million viewers a few months ago ?lol

doesn't hurt that its not competeing with the NFL or BCS title game