7 months ago
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Armed with The Rock, Roman Reigns, and Cody Rhodes all making appearances just days before WrestleMania 40, this past Monday's edition of "WWE Raw" appeared poised to deliver a strong rating. The only problem was the show faced major competition in the form of an NCAA Women's College Basketball Tournament game between Iowa and LSU, featuring top college stars Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese battling it out in a rematch of last year's National Championship game.
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As it turns out, "Raw" did just fine even with the competition. Wrestlenomics and SportsMedia Watch report that "Raw" drew 1.784 million viewers and 0.59 in the coveted 18-49 demographic. Both numbers increased from the previous week, with total viewership rising 3% from 1.729 million, while 18-49 was up 4% from 0.57. "Raw's" impressive performance came as the Iowa-LSU game drew a monster 12.3 million viewers and 3.03 in 18-49 on ESPN, easily taking #1 on the night.
While quarter hours are unavailable, the hourly rating shows "Raw" started off strong, drawing 1.948 million and 0.65 in hour one. From there, the show declined hour to hour, with hour two drawing 1.760 million and 0.58 in 18-49, while the final hour was the weakest, drawing 1.643 million and 0.55. Despite that, all three hours of "Raw" placed in the Top 10 for the night, finishing 5th, 6th, and 7th respectively.
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As "Raw's" go-home show for WrestleMania, the episode featured plenty of buildup for the two-night event, including several segments featuring Rock, Reigns, Rhodes, and Seth Rollins, who will wrestle in a tag team match on Night One. This included Rollins confronting Rock and Reigns over Rock's brutal attack on Rhodes a week ago, and the show's closing segment, which featured Rock and Reigns laying out Rhodes and Rollins.
