WWE is a global sports entertainment company. It has a fan base all across the world. People from different religions, origins, and continents have been or are still fans of one of the most lucrative entertainment products.
When we talk about TV, it all boils down to the TRP, AKA TV ratings. A show is chosen to be doing good or bad based on the TV ratings it acquires over a period of time. A low rating specifies that the show is not being liked by many, whereas a high rating signifies the quality of the show.
TV ratings also help production houses to decide the future of the product. It gives companies an idea of how their show is performing on the national or global level and helps them in restructuring and redesigning the product in order to keep the audiences glued to their TV sets.
WWE is the pioneer of pro wrestling and is also the market leader of the given industry. There have been numerous other productions that have entered the market namely WCW, ECW, TNA, and many other local productions, but no one could survive as long as WWE did.
A Major Challenge
WWE faced its major challenge during the mid-90s’ when Ted Turner’s production WCW went past it in TV ratings. The reason for such an incident was poor creativity and a lack of innovative approaches in the company. WCW was also able to lure in many major Superstars of WWE back then into the WCW locker room, such as Hulk Hogan and Bret Hart, to name a few. Later in early 2000, WWE used its money power and bought WCW to not only extend its roster but also killed its only completion in the industry.
WWE TV Ratings
Till the advent of WCW, WWE really didn’t bother much if the ratings of the show went down for a certain duration. It was in the mid-’90s when the war for ratings began between the two stalwarts back then. 83 weeks. That’s how long the uninterrupted winning streak of WCW Nitro over WWE Raw was. For 83 straight weeks, Nitro won the wrestling war. However, that all changed on April 13, 1998.
The Employee Vs Boss segment really fueled up the audience, and the rating skyrocketed from there. There was no looking back from there. Increased ratings gave the Superstars an open hand in deciding their own creativity and building their own brand name. To overcome the WCW market domination, WWE revamped its product and creativity and announced the beginning of the Attitude Era. After WWE purchased WCW, there has been no competition for them in the market.
The Cascading TV ratings
In the ’90s, products were designed to attain ratings over a complete show. WWE was adamant about achieving greater ratings due to the WCW competition. WWE’s highest rating show was on 10th May 1999. It is a huge thing to gain such a rating.
Over the years, WWE has been changing its product, keeping in mind the social and cultural aspects of its community. From weekly shows filled with bloodshed and adult content. WWE shifted its narrative towards a lighter side, restructuring its product around children, which has no bloodshed or 16+ content. The shows now are more family-oriented and children-friendly. This is also known as the PG Era, which is completely opposite of the Attitude Era.
WWE has gained a huge fan base over multiple decades. It dates back to fans from the attitude era. Now the new PG Era product is not really being liked by the core fans of WWE. It has seen a great dip in the TV ratings. From a rating as high as 8.1, it slipped down to a mere 0.35.
Initially, the company gained a complete rating for a particular show. Now the show’s ratings dip as it progresses through the night. 1st segment is the highest rated, followed by 2nd and final segment being the lowest. It clearly shows fans switching off their TV or switching to another channel as the show breaks into commercials.
Reviving of TRP
Given the reach and resources the company has, there’s no doubt that they can revamp their product and attract a huge set of audience in the near future. The positive side is that there’s no competition, so it’ll be easy for them to design and deliver a fan-centric product.
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Drug abuse and a concussion led the company to turn PG. If the company can just work on the story and get good bookings, it’s no rocket science for them to gain a healthy TV rating going forward.
