WWE has a problem.
As reported earlier, while the actual viewership isn’t quite there yet, this week’s edition of Monday Night Raw is in a tie for the lowest rated episode since 1997. That’s with Steve Austin, Shawn Michaels, Ric Flair, Brock Lesnar, and The Undertaker on the show, albeit with much weaker promotion than most “legends return” shows.
Ratings and viewership were already going down when Monday Night Football, which always takes a big chunk of the Raw audience, started for the season. There are plenty of things you can point to as being behind the decline. The three hour format is clearly a drag on the show and is a barrier of entry for new viewers. Creative has been uninspired for the most part going back at least a year (probably more). The in-ring and prmo styles are homogenous. The presentation of the women turns off female viewers. And so on.
WWE is in a bind in a least one area: They the third hour of Raw brings in a lot of extra guaranteed money and their TV contracts call for it.
Within reason, what do YOU all think WWE can and should do? Let’s talk it over in the comments.
