WWE Raw returned to the top spot on cable Monday while avoiding the men’s basketball tournament for the go-home episode before WrestleMania.
The March 27th episode from Phoenix averaged 1,843,000 viewers and approximately 731,000 (0.56) in the 18-49 demographic. (Data: Wrestlenomics and Showbuzz Daily).
Raw saw a minor increase of four percent in overall viewership and a one percent uptick in the key demo while ranking first among cable originals.
Raw finished ahead of the women’s NCAA college basketball games on ESPN and saw Maryland vs. South Carolina average 2.1 million viewers and 0.40 in the demo followed by the Ohio State vs. Virginia Tech game that averaged 2.23 million and 0.44 against the final two hours of Raw.
Raw averaged 1,908,000 viewers and 0.55 in the demo for the first hour of the program and was the largest opening hour of the program since February 20 following Elimination Chamber. It peaked in the second hour with 1,921,000 and 0.59 before falling to 1,701,000 and 0.53 for the third hour, which included Cody Rhodes vs. Solo Sikoa in the main event.
In the 18-49 demographic, male viewership grew four percent while females dropped by the same amount from last week.
Adults 18-34 grew by ten percent and was its largest audience in that demo since January 30 following the Royal Rumble.
Adults 35-49 experienced a four percent decline and adults 50+ were up by one percent from last week.
In Canada, the show did another giant audience with 391,700 viewers and 173,700 in the 25-54 demographic on Sportsnet 360. It was down from last week’s figures of 408,300 and 201,400 (the largest Canadian audience for Raw in years) but Raw still ranked third among sports on Monday in Canada and second in the demo.
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Saturday night’s edition of AEW Rampage averaged 373,000 viewers and approximately 130,000 (0.10) in the 18-49 demographic.
The show aired at 10 p.m. ET on TNT this past Saturday and unlike the previous week’s episode, did not have the giant lead-in from the NCAA basketball coverage on the network.
It was among the least-watched episodes in Rampage’s history but it’s hard to assign any significance to a show airing outside of its regular night and time slot. Comparing it to last week’s number would be misleading given the massive lead-in Rampage had last week and wasn’t indicative of a regular episode, nor is this week’s show. Rampage returns to its normal night and time this Friday night but will be airing against the ROH Supercard of Honor event and the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony.
Rampage ranked #26 among cable originals on Saturday night, which was dominated by TBS’ coverage of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament.
The episode was taped three nights earlier and featured The Kingdom against The Acclaimed in the main event and a TNT Championship match between Powerhouse Hobbs and Penta El Zero M.
A special sneak preview of AEW All Access aired on Saturday night at Midnight ET on TNT and ranked #7 among cable originals with 738,000 viewers and 0.24 in the 18-49 demographic.
The key was that All Access aired after TBS’ coverage of the NCAA tournament with the Gonzaga vs. UConn game that topped cable with 7,986,000 and 2.19 in the demo followed by the post-game coverage that still did 2,367,000 and 0.75 before All Access. The official premiere of the series is this Wednesday night at 10 p.m. ET following Dynamite.
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The WWE block on A&E from this past Sunday included two episodes of Biography: WWE Legends and a new edition of WWE Rivals.
The first Biography covering Charlotte Flair averaged 338,000 viewers and 0.11 in the 18-49 demo and ranked #27 among cable originals. It was followed by the Yokozuna documentary which did 366,000 and 0.13 in the demo, which was #21 among cable originals.
The Charlotte Flair doc tied the episode on Jerry Lawler for the second-lowest in the demo this season and only finished above the episode on Paige. The episode on Yokozuna was tied for third in the demo with the Kane documentary and the only episodes that finished higher were the ones on the N.W.O. and Chyna.
WWE Rivals covered Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar averaging 362,000 viewers and 0.14 in the demo, which ranked #20 among cable originals and outpaced both episodes of WWE Legends. It was the second-largest 18-49 audience for the series among the episodes of Rivals behind the season premiere on Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant, which barely edged it out with 184,000 viewers to 183,000 in the demo.
There are no new episodes scheduled for this Sunday, and the WWE block resumes on April 9 with a two-hour Biography episode on Dusty Rhodes and WWE Rivals featuring The Undertaker vs. Randy Orton.
