The WWE Raw ratings had been in a nosedive since WrestleMania 33, and were particularly bleak when going up against postseason NBA and NHL games. The viewership was dipping into regular all-time lows for Raw’s 20-year-plus history, but we had long theorized that things would pick up once the other sports disappeared and WWE started actually making things happen in anticipation of SummerSlam. Well, theory no more!
With NBA in the rearview mirror and SummerSlam finally on the horizon (even if not close enough on the horizon), the viewership is on the rise once again. While Brock Lesnar couldn’t boost ratings last week, Raw was also going head-to-head with Game 5 of the NBA Finals. Monday’s episode set a nine-week high in viewership, and with another Lesnar appearance coming next week, it’s likely Raw could see another nice boost for a second straight week. But let’s not put the cart before the Brock.
ShowBuzz Daily reports that viewership was up massively, to the tune of over a half-million more pairs of eyeballs than last week. The June 12 episode only averaged 2.54 million viewers for three hours, while the June 19 episode pulled in an average of 3.10 million, with the second hour peaking at 3.20 million.
Never rule out the allure of Braun Strowman to make people tune in. He’s not finished with us yet, either.
