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PWTorch editor Wade Keller presents a special Thursday Flagship edition of the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Podcast featuring a WrestleMania 36 Preview with ex-WWE Creative Team member and professional stand-up comedian Matt McCarthy.
(Search “wade keller” to subscribe in podcast app or CLICK HERE to subscribe in Apple Podcasts.)
Last night’s episode of WWE Monday Night Raw in live and same night DVR viewership on USA Network drew a rating of 2.28, the highest rating since the last two Raws of January during Royal Rumble season. It’s the third highest rating since the end of last summer before the NFL season began. It is well behind the year-ago rating of 2.59.
The rating beats the February average of 2.20 and January average of 2.20. The ten week average headed into this week was 2.18. It beats the ten week average headed into this week of 2.21.
The first-to-third hour drop off was above average, though, with 368,000 fewer viewers in the third hour than the first. The first hour drew 3.13 million viewers compared to the third drawing 2.92 million viewers.
Keller’s Analysis: That big drop off from the first to the third hour was a price they pay for not advertising Undertaker ahead of time and instead having his appearance be a surprise. The Samoa Joe vs. Chris Jericho main event wasn’t advertised heavily or hyped as being that big of a deal. Promos from Joe and Jericho and a little more hype from announcers framing the importance of the match could have helped.