Raw this week

[Cuzziebro]

Now I don't know if it just me or not, but how good was Raw compared to the last few months. I am loving Charlie Haas at the moment and Glameralla is just gold :D
The feuds are all building up nicely and they are all making reasonable sense.
I don't know about the ratings but are they going up aswell???
Anyone else share this opinion or is it just me?

[Juan]

It's not just you. RAW has been really entertaining since a few weeks before the Draft.

[DaVe]

To be honest, I wasn't the biggest fan of RAW last night (especially with the silly Jackass-whoevers segment), but the WWE has definitely, generally, been very good since just after the draft, like Juan said. RAW is usually quite entertaining, and Smackdown is a great wrestling show that always seems to have a theme running through each show.

However the ratings haven't been in agreement. RAW is around 3-flat recently, and Smackdown has been around mid-2s before they moved to MNTV, and have been 1.9 (debut show) and 2.1 the last two weeks. The general trend the last year has been down:

http://www.411mania.com/siteimages/jp_screencap_347_9333.jpg

[AKin3D]

Like ratings really matter. I swear when it comes to good/funny/great storylines, the ratings always seem to be down and only the hardcore fans watch it when it's going down. Then after it passes and we bring it up everyone else jumps on it like a Diva who passed her STD/I test.

[Tazz Dan]

I'll just agree. Haven't been able to watch Raw in 4 months now :(

[Cuzziebro]

I haven't watched ECW or Smackdown for about the same about of time. So the only thing I can compare Raw to is other Raw episodes and TNA. So yeah Raw will always win over TNA for me.

[Outsider]

The interesting thing is that if you look at that graph, the trend is still falling on both Smackdown and RAW.

[Kane Knight]

Raw's ratings have been sub three of late. I stopped charting them because I stopped watching, but looking at the last couple of weeks, they were beat out by 3.0s and a 2.7.

It was only a year ago that this would have been big news. Now it's par for the course.

Raw's been better the last couple of weeks. Ratings really won't reflect an upward trend immediately, because you don't gain back viewers overnight. It's easy to lose fans (Such as with a Diva Search), harder to get them back.

[DarKCentaur]

Well the ratings going down now can be attributed to MNF (which is a pretty crazy season so far)

[Xero]

MNF is inexcusable. Wrestling used to be able to put 10+ (combined) against it.

[DarKCentaur]

MNF is inexcusable. Wrestling used to be able to put 10+ (combined) against it.

But that was back when there was quality AND quantity of competition. There's only one Monday night show now, that pales in comparison to 10 years ago. It'll be a while before TNA can provide that sort of competition (if they ever make it to that point) to drive the ratings up.

[A7X]

Raw needs to keep giving us Kofi Kingston on our television. Nuff Said

[Kane Knight]

Well the ratings going down now can be attributed to MNF (which is a pretty crazy season so far)

...If you have the attention span of, say...Noid.

For those of you with that problem, here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/allanthinks/397426617/

While they're distracted, let me just explain that the downward trend clearly transcends any one season, sport, or event. The downward trend has been fairly consistent for a while now. Raw was sub-3.0 before MNF, and will likely remain sub-3.0 after as well, unless they put out consistently good programming. Actually, MNF seems to have had little impact this time around, because nobody's watching in the first place (compared to previous years).

I know being a wrestling fan requires the ability to suspend disbelief, but I think it's time people stop trying to look for excuses as to why the ratings are so fucked. MNF goes away, the problem doesn't. MLB goes away, the problem doesn't. American Idol or whatever is on Network TV on Mondays goes away, the problem doesn't. See a pattern emerging here, folks? Ahh, who am I kidding? 85% of the board are still staring at that something shiny....

Short bus version: No, the ratings cannot really be attributed to Monday Night Football, unless there is some ripple effect that causes people to stop watching Raw for weeks ahead of the football season in anticipation, and weeks after due to a need to cool down.

[Juan]

You bring up some good points KK.