The Memorial Day episode of WWE Raw faced stiff competition from the NBA and NHL playoffs, resulting in a slight dip in viewership. Despite the holiday and the high-stakes games, Raw managed to hold its own, albeit with a downward trend in the face of major competition.
According to ShowbuzzDaily and Wrestlenomics, Monday’s Raw averaged 1,611,000 viewers across its three-hour slot, a 2% decrease from the previous week. Approximately 683,000 of these viewers were adults aged 18 to 49, the demographic most valued by advertisers, marking a 3% drop from the week prior. Despite these decreases, Raw secured fourth place in ShowbuzzDaily’s rankings of Monday’s cable originals, trailing behind the NBA game and its pre-game and post-game shows.
The NBA Eastern Conference Finals Game 7, featuring the Miami Heat’s victory over the Boston Celtics, was a significant draw. The game, broadcasted on TNT, averaged 11,900,000 viewers overall with a 4.24 rating in the 18-49 demographic. According to a Warner Bros. Discovery press release, it was the most-watched Eastern Conference Finals ever on TNT.
In terms of demographics, all but two categories saw a downward trend. The exceptions were women aged 18 to 49 and female viewers aged 12 to 34, which saw increases of 3% and 2%, respectively. The most significant drop was observed in male viewers aged 12 to 34, which fell 16% from the median.
Despite the challenges, WWE Raw’s performance on Memorial Day was commendable. However, the trend of major NBA games drawing viewers away is something WWE will have to contend with in the future.
