Several released stars return, controversial title match - RAW vs. WWE SmackDown vs. NXT - who came out on top this week in the ratings?
Whether it's WWE SmackDown, RAW, or NXT, fans have been treated to a smorgasbord of professional wrestling television courtesy of World Wrestling Entertainment. All three brands aired two- to three-hour prime-time programs this past week.
All three brands have their own unique roster, championships, and unique flavours that cause fans to often prefer one over the other. The programs also airs on different days and at different timeslots.
Both RAW and NXT shows air on the USA Network, with the red brand air under the timeslot from 8 PM EST until 11 PM EST on Mondays. While the black-and-gold show airs from 8 PM EST to 10 PM EST on Tuesdays, with a slight overrun.
SmackDown, however, airs on the FOX Network every Friday from 8 PM to 10 PM time slot. All three shows bring in a different amount of viewers to their network each week.
Last week wasn't a particularly strong one in terms of viewership for any of the three brands. With most of the shows being down week-over-week, WWE SmackDown ultimately had the most viewers after returning to FOX following a one-week stint on FS1. Will the blue brand hold steady again?
Below is a rundown of WWE's television ratings this past week.
#3. Monday Night RAW on November 7, 2022
#TheOC just found their answer for @RheaRipley_WWE! @MiaYim is BACK!!!
#WWERaw https://t.co/rbzipONJKq
The November 7 edition of Monday Night RAW, headlined by a United States Championship Open Challenge, had 1.593 million viewers and a 0.43 share in the covered 18-49 key demographic. This number comes courtesy of Brandon Thurston of WrestleNomics.
This number is up from last week when the Halloween edition of Monday Night RAW had just 1.5 million viewers. The key demo is up significantly, as the October 31 edition of RAW only had a key demo rating of 0.36.
RAW's viewership is also up year-over-year. The November 7 edition of the red brand had 1.569 million viewers, less than the 1.593 million from this past week's episode. You can check out Brandon Thurston's Tweet revealing the rating below.
patreon.com/wrestlenomics
WWE Raw last night on USA Network (8-11pm):
1,593,000 viewers
P18-49 rating: 0.43
#7 cable original in P18-49
📊 patreon.com/wrestlenomics https://t.co/meZDyaGJO1
This week's program featured a few major moments, some beloved by fans and some not so much. Mia Yim made her return to WWE by joining The O.C.'s fight against The Judgment Day.
Austin Theory finally cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase only for it to be on the United States Championship, a match in which he ultimately lost.
#2. NXT on November 8, 2022
The November 8, 2022, edition of NXT had 664,000 viewers with a key demo rating of 0.15 for ages 18-49. This number is down just slightly compared to last week's 670,00 viewers.
While viewership is down slightly, the key demo rating actually increased week-over-week. Last week had a 0.13 in the 18-49 key demographic, while this week had a 0.15 rating. You can check out Brandon Thurston's Tweet revealing the rating below.
WWE NXT last night on USA Network (8-10:06pm):
664,000 viewers
P18-49 rating: 0.15
#40 cable original in P18-49
📊 patreon.com/wrestlenomics https://t.co/efQudAMlVO
The NXT viewership is up a solid amount year-over-year. While NXT had 664,000 viewers this past Tuesday, the November 8, 2021, show brought in 603,000 viewers. The coveted key demo was essentially even.
This past week's episode of NXT featured The Grayson Waller Effect talk show with Bron Breakker, Von Wagner, and Robert Stone as the guests. The program also featured a shocking heel turn and a WWE Women's Tag Team Titles match.
#1. WWE SmackDown on November 11, 2022
This isn't a brawl, this is a WAR!
#SmackDown https://t.co/GIABw4lr2Q
The November 11, 2022, edition of WWE SmackDown on FOX had about 2.134 million viewers, according to SpoilerTV.com. This is a preliminary number, as the official viewership won't be revealed until sometime next week.
The preliminary numbers for WWE SmackDown are up significantly from last week's show, which had a rating of 1.97. Last week's show went on to have a final viewership of 2.138 million people. Most weeks see the final number up from the preliminary estimate, so the final number next week will likely be higher than the 2.134 overnight number.
November 11, 2021, WWE SmackDown program had a final rating of 2.104 and a preliminary viewership of 1.998 million people. There was a significant increase year-over-year, with this year's prelim rating nearly passing last year's final viewership.
WWE SmackDown on FOX featured the return of Sarah Logan, The New Day vs. The Usos for the Undisputed Tag Team Titles, and the beginning of the WWE SmackDown World Cup. The program also featured a six-pack challenge to crown a new number-one contender for the WWE SmackDown Women's Championship.
The verdict: which show won the viewership battle for the week?
WWE SmackDown once again took home the prize for having the most viewers of any wrestling program of the week.
While RAW was up from last week and NXT remained essentially flat, neither could come close to the blue brand's outstanding performance on network television. With three programs increasing in viewership year-over-year, WWE will likely want to maintain this momentum going forward.
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