WWE News: ‘SmackDown Live’ Ratings Improve While ‘WWE Raw’ Ratings Dwindle
When the WWE Draft happened, it was fairly obvious which brand would come out on top. WWE Raw is the flagship show of the company. They have the longest history, with rich moments and classic storylines that carried the WWE through the Attitude Era and beyond. Think back and reminisce about some of the instances that took place; CM Punk’s pipebomb is one classic example. The WWE wasn’t going to have him cut that promo on SmackDown because it wouldn’t have generated nearly as much interest.
From the get-go, WWE fans had a feeling Vince McMahon wanted WWE Raw to get the better ratings and better WWE superstars. Seth Rollins was their No. 1 pick in the WWE Draft. He was followed by Roman Reigns, Sasha Banks, Charlotte, Sami Zayn, Neville, Bayley, Kevin Owens, and Chris Jericho. Additionally, WWE Raw has the Cruiserweight Division. They’re only on about two segments a night, but they still cater to a small audience that likes that kind of wrestling.
As for SmackDown Live, they weren’t handed the top guys on the WWE roster. Sure, the blue brand drafted Dean Ambrose, John Cena, Randy Orton, Bray Wyatt, and AJ Styles, but their mid-card was near extinct and the Women’s Division was lackluster. That is, until they started to write wrestling television. After nearly two months, SmackDown Live is WWE’s premiere show, and the ratings are starting to reflect that.
WWE Raw didn’t have a debate to go up against, but Monday Night Football is a constant in the fall season. SmackDown Live had its normal competition outside of playoff baseball. What did the ratings show this week for the WWE’s No. 2 show? According to SEScoops.com, the ratings for SmackDown Live improved for another time in the last month and are getting closer to WWE Raw.
“Last night’s WWE SmackDown drew 2.448 million viewers, up from last week’s 2.316 million.
“This week’s show featured fallout from the No Mercy pay-per-view with Randy Orton and Kane vs. Luke Harper and Bray Wyatt in the main event.
“SmackDown was #6 for the night on cable in viewership and #2 in the 18-49 demographic, next to MLB.”
Things are always getting better for SmackDown Live, who deserves the ratings they are receiving. The content is exceptional, and the storytelling is what the WWE used to do so well. Dolph Ziggler and the Miz are prime examples of how WWE programming should display themselves. WWE Raw, accompanied by illogical segments and lack of continuity, focuses on ill-timed shock value and part-time stars to boost ratings.
That’s the only reason Goldberg is returning to face Brock Lesnar at, presumably, Survivor Series. Once again, WWE Raw’s ratings declined. Here’s the hourly breakdown for Raw: hour one had 2.79 million, hour two had 2.88 million, and hour three had 2.61 million.
On the October 3 edition of WWE Raw, McMahon booked Sasha Banks and Charlotte in the main event for the WWE Women’s championship. Banks claimed her second belt on the main roster. In a recent article by the Inquisitr, the ratings came in at 2.797 million viewers, which was up from the company’s disaster before that.
As the weeks go by, SmackDown Live is creeping closer to WWE Raw in the ratings. Sooner or later, the blue brand will defeat the flagship show of the WWE and Vince McMahon will arrive at a crossroads. He will have to decide if WWE Raw can lose in the ratings, or if a change to SmackDown Live is necessary. Do you remember the last time that happened? Paul Heyman was shipped to Ohio Valley Wrestling.
[Featured Image by WWE]
