What do you think Raw's "Bottom" is?

[Kane Knight]

Ratings question.

For a while, I thought the 3.6-3.8 range was the absolute bottom: We'd reached the lowest Raw could go, because that was essentially the die-hard smarktards and the like, who would watch wrestling no matter how phenomenally shitty it was.

Then we started seeing 3.2 as a regular rating, and now Raw normally does a 2.8.

Do you think it can go lower? How much lower? How low do you think it can go before Vince wises up, or TV networks start pulling the plug?

[Mercury Bullet]

If it drops below 2, I think USA will really clamp down and deliver a warning shot at WWE.

If it drops below 2 and the WWE does nothing to improve the show, and thus stays below 2, I think USA will eventual pull the plug on Raw.

[Innovator]

I think 2.4 is RAW's bottom, if it gets near that and starts staying there, Stamford will implode

[BigDaddyCool]

Cancelled is the bottom. And if they don't do something soon, it will be there.

[Johnny Vegas]

Yea, i think since it's been around 2.8-3.0 consecutively, the WWE's low would probably be like a 2.0-2.4. Hopefully it will not get to that point. This is what the WWE gets, though. They thought that it was going to be like Hogan's reign all over again where people were "just going to watch regardless." This ain't the Cosby show.

I think the problem is that they thought The Rock, SCSA, Foley, and other big stars wouldn't leave or quit. Like that was going to be their livelyhood. HA. ALWAYS have a backup plan...and no, that is NOT HHH.

[Dave Youell]

Raw back in early years got down to a 1.7 and they still kept with it.

If Sci-Fi is willing to renew a ‘C’ show with a recent average of 1.2 and Spike are giving a 1.2 show a second hour, I don’t see USA making any drastic decisions just yet.

At worst I could see it getting moved to another channel, but that would depend on them bringing in another show that could match the ratings right? Even though it’s on a slide, it’s still quite high up on the cable rankings generally in that oh so precious 18-35 male ranking.

So I think it’s nowhere near cancellation at this point IMO.

Heck USA’s great idea was to give RAW another hour and further saturate the market, not sure how on earth that would help though.

[interforce]

During the SCSA and The Rock era how high were the viewing figures?

[Mr Regal]

Didn't they used to do between 5 and 7?

[Outsider]

Yup, and they used to get 6.2+ against Nitro, which was doing just under what WWE is pulling now

[Dave Youell]

As soon as a democrat gets back in power it will sort itself out

[Outsider]

As soon as a Liberal Democrat gets into power everything will be sorted out

Fixed.

[Kane Knight]

Raw back in early years got down to a 1.7 and they still kept with it.

If Sci-Fi is willing to renew a ‘C’ show with a recent average of 1.2 and Spike are giving a 1.2 show a second hour, I don’t see USA making any drastic decisions just yet.

Raw back in the early years got 1.7 in a radically different environment. I don't expect you to know this, but the way Cable has changed in this country has been pretty major.

Among other things, WWF Raw was almost always the top rated (or one of the top rated) shows on Cable. Nowadays, they usually fill out the bottom of the top ten...If they show up at all.

Sci-Fi wasn't willing to renew. NBC Universal was willing to renew, and only for a single (non-negotiable) year. Is this an indication of faith in the company? To me, it doesn't really seem to be. It looks like it may be a portion of keeping open negotiations, since NBC Universal has other interests in wrestling right now.

[Dave Youell]

Raw back in the early years got 1.7 in a radically different environment. I don't expect you to know this, but the way Cable has changed in this country has been pretty major.

Among other things, WWF Raw was almost always the top rated (or one of the top rated) shows on Cable. Nowadays, they usually fill out the bottom of the top ten...If they show up at all.

Sci-Fi wasn't willing to renew. NBC Universal was willing to renew, and only for a single (non-negotiable) year. Is this an indication of faith in the company? To me, it doesn't really seem to be. It looks like it may be a portion of keeping open negotiations, since NBC Universal has other interests in wrestling right now.
Ok based on this new info, I give Raw 4 weeks

[Dave Youell]

As soon as a Liberal Democrat gets into power everything will be sorted out


Fixed.

So we are going to be waiting a long time then :-\

[Kane Knight]

Yeah, a liberal in the White House is going to happen about the same time ...

...Actually, I can't think of an unlikely event that's that unlikely.

[Outsider]

Yeah, a liberal in the White House is going to happen about the same time ...

...Actually, I can't think of an unlikely event that's that unlikely.

I didn't mean the white house, I meant as leader of the largest party in the the House of Commons.

It's slightly more likely, but not that much more :(