Why is this? (Ratings-related)

[Xero]

Why is it that even when wrestling is in a slump, WWE's always in at least the top five cable shows? How does this happen? We know that the mainstream hates wrestling, and yet it gets ridiculous ratings that other shows would die for.

Is there a floor that WWE just can't crash through ratings-wise, thus they'll always be considered a success, at least from a ratings standpoint?

[loopydate]

That's exactly it. Cable TV doesn't draw huge ratings anyway, because there's still a large percentage of the population that doesn't have it.

And the unique thing about wrestling is that - if you're a wrestling fan - Monday night is appointment television. It's not the same way with other cable TV shows. Most other cable programs get rerun several times throughout the week. So, if you missed Nip/Tuck Tuesday night at 10, you can catch the rebroadcast immediately after. Or you can see it again on Sunday night. Most other cable shows are like that. But if you want to watch RAW, you're watching it right then, which helps the ratings.

[Kane Knight]

Cable ratings are generally low to begin with. Most stations draw their best hours in the rankings of maybe a million people. To give you an idea, Sci FI's biggest hit before ECW was BSG, which did something like a 1.1 on its miniseries premiere.

You'll notice that Network ratings bury wrestling alive. Every week. Without excuse. Reruns kick its ass.

Cable is a different breeding ground. For one thing, there's like 900 cable stations and maybe 30-40 network if you're in a decent area. That doesn't mean that's a factor here, but it's still one of the major differences. Cable generaly doesn't have the same shit on four channels, I get five NBCs alone. Don't get me started on CBS, either.

Further, EVERYONE gets broadcast. It's a less specialty market. More people will watch even bad shows just because they're on. Cable? Pay for it (In theory). You don't necessarily get every channel.

Though the main reason? There's garbage on every station. So even bad wrestling? Looks good in comparison. ;)