WWE News: Monday Night Raw Sees a Sharp Decline in Viewership

It was a tough night for the WWE.

Even with the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view hype, which is set to take place this Sunday, and The Rock's appearance on Raw, the show slumped on Monday night as its viewership numbers dipped lower (via TV By the Numbers).

The Monday, Feb. 11 edition of WWE Monday Night Raw got off to a decent start, as the show began its first hour with 4.35 million viewers. However, its second and third hours trended downward. Raw's second hour slipped to 4.25 million viewers. The show's third hour did worse, slumping down to 4.18 million viewers. 

Despite the drop in viewership, Raw was able to capture the No. 2 spot on cable television's Top 50 chart. In all of the show's three hours, Raw scored a 1.5 rating in adults 18-49.

Meanwhile, History Channel's Pawn Stars secured the No. 1 spot on cable television with 4.78 million viewers and a 1.6 rating in adults 18-49 on Monday night.

Will the WWE recover at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view?

Although this must be a disappointing viewership number for the WWE, the company should have absolutely no worries on where it is heading. If everything remains in place, especially with The Rock defeating CM Punk to retain the WWE Championship belt, Monday Night Raw should rebound quickly with the company getting into the heart of its WrestleMania season.

With possibly more surprises to come and a potentially strong lineup card for its biggest pay-per-view event in April, Monday Night Raw should see its viewership spike higher as WrestleMania approaches.

Unfortunately for this past edition of Raw, the three-hour program was sluggish, as the show was filled with video packages and filler matches. WWE must do their part to create an intriguing Monday Night Raw program for more viewers to watch during its busiest time of the year.