Dwayne Johnson’s Surprise Appearance Boosts Raw Viewership
Summary
– The Rock’s unannounced return to WWE Raw led to a significant increase in viewership, averaging 1.75 million viewers.
– The show also featured a Seth Rollins vs. Drew McIntyre world title match, contributing to the high ratings.
– Despite college football playoff semifinals competition, Raw’s ratings surged, especially among younger viewers.
The recent edition of WWE Raw witnessed a remarkable surge in its ratings, thanks to the surprise return of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. The show, featuring a highly anticipated world title match between Seth Rollins and Drew McIntyre, averaged 1.75 million viewers. This viewership marked the best ratings for Raw since the episode featuring CM Punk’s return.
The episode faced stiff competition from the college football playoff semifinals yet drew significant numbers. The Michigan vs. Alabama Rose Bowl game, which coincided with the early part of Raw, attracted 27.2 million viewers, peaking at 32.8 million. The Washington vs. Texas Sugar Bowl game, overlapping with the last two hours of Raw, including The Rock’s appearance, drew 18.4 million viewers.
Raw’s ratings showed a substantial increase compared to the show two weeks prior, with a 12 percent rise in overall viewership and a 27 percent increase in the 18-49 demographic. The audience for Raw was up by nine percent from the previous year, with a notable 48 percent increase in the 18-49 demographic, indicating a growing interest among younger viewers.
The segment featuring The Rock peaked at 2.15 million viewers with a 0.79 rating in the 18-49 demographic. The show’s viewership dipped after Johnson’s segment but picked up again for the Rollins vs. McIntyre main event, which was significantly higher than the first quarter, a rare occurrence for the show.
The hourly breakdown of viewership was as follows:
– 8 PM: 1.62 million viewers
– 9 PM: 1.86 million viewers
– 10 PM: 1.77 million viewers
This spike in viewership underscores the enduring star power of The Rock and the continued appeal of high-stakes matches in drawing audiences to WWE programming.
