According to a report from Variety, Monday’s post-WrestleMania 31 episode of Raw popped the show’s highest rating in almost three years.
According to Nielsen, an average audience of 5.4 million (including 2.4 million adults 18-49) watched from 8 to 11 p.m., making USA the No. 1 cable network during primetime in both categories. Week to week, “WWE Raw” was up by 27% in adults 18-49, 24% in adults 25-54 and 28% in total viewers.
The 5.4 million viewers is the largest for a night of USA’s “WWE Monday Night Raw” since the “Raw 1000″ special in July 2012.
With its three-hour “WWE Raw,” USA also rose to No. 1 among cable networks in primetime in adults 18-49 (1.9) and was No. 1 on all of television from 8 to 11 p.m. in adults 18-34 (1.8), men 18-34 (2.5), men 18-49 (2.5) and men 25-54 (2.7).
Post-WrestleMania Raws have become the hottest wrestling ticket of the year, full of debuts, character changes and new directions for the year. Amongst more jaded fans, they’re known as “the one Raw a year where stuff happens.” Monday’s episode featured numerous debuts (Kalisto, Neville), returns (Sheamus), alignment changes (Sheamus again!) and major plot points (Seth Rollins as WWE World Heavyweight Champion, Brock Lesnar’s suspension, etc.). It didn’t hurt that the show was riding the heels of one of the better WrestleManias in recent memory.
The lesson here, if you’re reading, is simple: If you make a good wrestling show, people who watch it will get excited and tell people who don’t to watch it, too.
