John Cena’s effect on Raw rating
John Cena’s first appearance on Raw since Aug. 18 spiked the rating for last night’s show. According to pwinsider.com, Raw did a 3.3 rating (3.2 in the first hour and 3.4 in the second, which featured Cena), which is up from last week’s 2.9.
How much Cena was responsible for the increase is a matter of conjecture, as curiosity about the Survivor Series pay-per-view on Sunday (which Cena headlined) likely played a role. The indisputable fact, however, is that the last time Cena returned after several months off television — on Jan. 28 — the rating went from 3.5 the week before to 3.9.
Love him or hate him, Cena is clearly WWE’s biggest star.
The rating for last night’s show was the highest for Raw since Cena’s last appearance on the program. During the 13 weeks that Cena was out after undergoing surgery to repair a herniated disk in August, Raw averaged a 2.95 rating, although some of that can be attributed to the expected drop-off during NFL season.
Now that the initial buzz over Cena’s return is over, the challenge for WWE will be to maintain the audience numbers and possibly build on them. It likely has a good chance of doing well next week, as the Monday Night Football game is between the Houston Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars, both of whom are 4-7.
Comments
"It likely has a good chance of doing well next week, as the Monday Night Football game is between the Houston Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars, both of whom are 4-7."
Cena probably does have more drawing power than Sage Rosenfels. Like Cena, Rosenfels got a big win yesterday, but that may not be enough.
Posted by: Christopher | November 26, 2008 12:33 AM
For the first time, I actually found myself enjoying Cena.....
For me, what made me hate him is his period of invinciblity. I don't think any WWE fan wants an invincible champion who never loses. Then add to the fact that he clearly should have turned heel in response to the crowds.
If he changes his look, I think that will be the biggest boost. While I normally don't care at all about fashion, I think those stupid Jeans and the sneakers he wears in the ring make him look like a goof. If there is a more aggressive persona change coming as was hinted about on Raw, he needs a new look to go with it.
Posted by: Rob | November 26, 2008 7:25 PM