Raw on 4/23 did a 3.06 rating and 4.42 million viewers, which is the usual range, but it was a three-hour show, so I’d consider that a good rating. In the usual two hours the show did a 3.33 rating and 4.76 million viewers (hours of 3.22 and 3.41–so the second hour going down as a pattern has changed of late).
It’s hard to judge this as compared to a usual episode. The general rule of a three hour Raw is the first hour is much lower, bringing down the average. But because it starts earlier and is longer, hours two and three are usually above what the show is usually getting. So in other words, this fit the usual pattern, but overall, you expect the three-hour number to be slightly down and this was right at normal levels, so it was a mild success. Raw was fourth for the night on cable. The show did a 2.4 in Males 12-17 (down 14%), 2.9 in Males 18-49 (up 4%), 0.8 in Women 12-17 (down 27%) and 1.1 in Women 18-49 (down 8%). When we talk about creatures of habit, on the three hour show, the group that tuned in late the most was teenage boys, who did a 1.3 first quarter and a 3.4 final quarter of the show. The show has 70.1% male viewers. Since Lesnar came back, there has been a shift. More guys and less women.
In the segment-by-segment, Chris Jericho vs. Kofi Kingston lost 73,000 viewers.
Jericho promo, John Laurinaitis and Eve Torres backstage and taped promos of Brock Lesnar and a C.M. Punk promo gained 52,000 viewers. R-Truth vs. Lord Tensai lost 3,000 viewers.
Kane interview with Randy Orton throwing Paul Bearer into the freezer gained 865,000 viewers, which were all the people who didn’t know Raw started an hour earlier.
Cody Rhodes & Alberto Del Rio vs. Big Show & Great Khali gained 195,000 viewers.
Jericho, Laurinaitis, Torres and Teddy Long discussing Punk’s drinking lost 112,000 viewers.
Beth Phoenix vs. Nikki Bella gained 437,000 viewers, which was a big surprise.
The Field Sobriety test segment gained 270,000 viewers to a 3.63 quarter which is one of the best quarters in a while.
Sheamus vs. Mark Henry with Daniel Bryan as ref and Primo & Epico vs. Zack Ryder & Santino Marella lost 439,000 viewers.
Kane putting Paul Bearer back in the freezer and AW recruiting Primo & Epico lost 370,000 viewers.
Brodus Clay & Hornswoggle vs. Dolph Ziggler & Jack Swagger gained 225,000 viewers.
The final segment with Lesnar and Laurinaitis and Cena in at the end gained 873,000 viewers to a 3.83 quarter, built up because they went 15 minutes past time and people didn’t tune out as they sometimes do for long overruns.