Many still believe the strong creative build for John Cena vs. CM Punk at Money in the Bank will positively impact the buyrate, but as far as television is concerned, the angle did not prove a compelling draw for casual fans.
Following last week’s justified valley for the Fourth of July edition, RAW only rose to a 1.5 adults 18-49 demo rating with 4.4 million viewers. The cable coverage rating, known as “the rating” on wrestling websites, was a mere 2.9.
While the Home Run Derby likely took a slight chunk out of the RAW viewership, there was still an expectation that RAW would have at least matched its rating from two weeks ago, given all the buzz surrounding the CM Punk storyline.