Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter
Catching up on the business numbers for the past two months, we’ll start with January.
The Raw crew in January averaged 3,169 in average domestic house show attendance while the Smackdown crew averaged 3,695. Raw TV tapings averaged 7,760 and Smackdown TV tapings averaged 4,580. NXT Florida shows averaged 306 and NXT out of Florida shows averaged 1,498.
In January 2016, the house shows averaged 3,455, so they were almost identical, down 0.7 percent this year. Raw tapings averaged 9,250, or a drop of 16.1 percent this year. We don’t have Smackdown numbers for 2016. NXT Florida averaged 388 or a drop of 21.1 percent this year. NXT out of Florida shows averaged 1,558, or a drop of 3.9 percent this year.
Raw in January averaged a 2.19 rating and 3.22 million viewers. Smackdown in January averaged a 1.83 rating and 2.63 million viewers.
In 2016, Raw averaged a 2.53 rating and 3.62 million viewers, so ratings were down 13.4 percent and viewers were down 11.0 percent.
In 2016, Smackdown averaged a 1.84 rating and 2.64 million viewers, so the numbers were virtually identical but this year was a split brand and went live.
In February, the Raw crew averaged 3,450 in domestic house show attendance. The Smackdown crew averaged 4,498. For those keeping track, Raw was killing Smackdown in attendance until John Cena returned over Christmas, and since then, it’s been reversed. So the advantage of years of being the “A” show isn’t more powerful as a draw than Cena being back on television as the star of the brand. Raw TV tapings averaged 8,600. Smackdown TV tapings averaged 8,625. NXT Florida shows averaged 400 and NXT out of Florida shows averaged 1,400.
In February 2016, house shows averaged 4,600, so this year was down 11.4 percent. Raw tapings averaged 9,800, so this year was down 12.2 percent. Smackdown TV tapings averaged 7,300, so this year was up 18.2 percent (Cena almost never worked Smackdown tapings last year and in February he was advertised as the top star at every taping). NXT Florida shows averaged 288, so this year was up 38.9 percent. NXT out of Florida shows averaged 1,675, so this year was down 16.4 percent.
Raw averaged a 2.18 rating and 3.12 million viewers in February. Smackdown averaged a 1.83 rating and 2.66 million viewers.
In February 2016, Raw averaged a 2.56 rating and 3.62 million viewers, so this year’s ratings were down 14.8 percent and the audience was down 13.8 percent. Smackdown last year averaged a 1.77 rating and 2.49 million viewers, so this year was up 3.4 percent in ratings and 6.8 percent in viewers.