Views from the Cliff
YOU STILL GOT IT *clap clap clap-clap-clap*
-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
WWE Raw drops to lowest TV rating in 18 years
- Thread starter RBH
- Start date
- Status
YOU STILL GOT IT *clap clap clap-clap-clap*
JesseEwiak
Member
You guys do realize that all these low ratings mean is you're going to get a Summerslam where the top 3 matches are Cena vs. Reigns, Triple H vs. Shane, and Orton vs. Lesnar while AJ and Finn have 10 minutes on the undercard, right?
ElectricBlanketFire
Member
I think there was one time someone was sitting down and I marked out.
Nemesis121
Member
Haven't watched Raw since Raw after Mania...don't think i want to watch anymore of Vince and his crappy writer shit anymore..
it seems pretty clear at this point that the problem isn't stacking big cards with talent, it's putting out an appealing weekly tv show
lesnar isn't there every week
cena, reigns, trips, shane and orton being on every week isn't making any difference
The Maverick
Member
So nothing will change? Matter of fact, that's more interesting than whatever it is now.
You know what they need to do more of? Rasslemen looking at a television backstage.
It's a small nitpick, but having a "set" backstage really annoys me. Giant WWE logo backstage with a TV for viewing. This absolutely screams STAGED and breaks my suspension of disbelief. Why would a company go to the lengths to dress up a backstage area? It looked so much more believable when it was a dude in his locker room watching a monitor.
Similarly, it drives me nuts that they always show people watching the product and folks at the announce table seeing people in the back talking, but we're to assume during no other time of the day do wrestlers watch the show.
"Oh no, they are planning something sneaky... as they tell the entire world and the one wrestler turns his back as to not hear about it!"
but thats the thing
it's a nitpick, but right now i have SO MANY nitpicks about the way the show is produced and presented that collectively it becomes a big deal for me as a viewer
also, i agree.
ElectricBlanketFire
Member
That's okay.
What's dumb is when someone loses, they get a few good hits in after the bell and steal the belt or something, and they play the loser's theme.
And it's almost always Dean Ambrose.
this is an extended nitpick i have, because this has been happening for like 25 years so ive come to accept it
hell i just finished a RAW last night that had Rikishi beat the Rock, then they played Angle's music to exit because he was at the commentator table.
ElectricBlanketFire
Member
Another nitpick I have is how The Usos are horrible.
JesseEwiak
Member
Eh, the thing is, you may not like it, the drop went to the gentle "people figuring out they can find RAW via other ways and/or stop watching because they cut the cord" slope we've had since 2002-2003 to a drastic drop ever since Cena was no longer the main part of programming. Basically, since the Rollins cash-in.
Tatsumaki Senpuukyaku!
Member
WWE is terrible about filming backstage segments to begin with.
The backstage camera should be used extremely sparingly. Rarely if at all.
The worst thing they do is when they show footage of like HHH and Stephanie plotting against some wrestler and the wrestler is unaware of it later on the show.
A. Why would they plot when they know a camera is right there?
B. How did the wrestler they plotting against not know when it's being broadcast on national TV and on the Titantron in the arena he is currently at?
It requires suspension of disbelief for sure.
A. So the audience can see it.
B. They're presumably off doing something other than watching the show.
supermarioworldE
Banned
Yay! Fuck this TV-PG, lack of entertaining characters bullshit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wait, am I a few decades late?
Wait, am I a few decades late?
HD killed wrestling.
old wrestling footage has that ethereal cloak of crushed blacks and blown out spotlights. watching larger than life titans smash into each other felt like squinting through the letterbox to see into the halls of gods.
in HD, it's just two greasy coked up blokes you just saw on the internet trying not to hurt each other.
old wrestling footage has that ethereal cloak of crushed blacks and blown out spotlights. watching larger than life titans smash into each other felt like squinting through the letterbox to see into the halls of gods.
in HD, it's just two greasy coked up blokes you just saw on the internet trying not to hurt each other.
Let's be honest, they would do that regardless on what happened. Especially Cena vs Reigns. Same with Trips and Shane. They wouldn't need the excuse.
NYR
Member
Haven't watched since Feb, D-Bry retiring was the last thing I saw on RAW, I have zero remote interest in wrestling, IMO, they are like a team needed to re build, will take them years. Glad to see the ratings so low and mediocrity is not being rewarded.Views from the Cliff
Jimmy King
Member
GraveRobberX
Platinum Trophy: Learned to Shit While Upright Again.
Quick question
Who in the blue fuck nerfed super moves aka finishers?
Like seriously I'm suppose to take The Superman Punch or AJ's Flying Forearm as lethal maneuvers...
Like fuck most moves recently make me feel like these moves are what set up to the goddamn finisher
Like Ziggy's Zig Zag looks like he hurt himself more than his opponent
Even Baron Corbin, Mr. Lone Wolf looks like a bear hug where he squeezed to hard and his legs gave out
I still like the F5, it stands out, gives it the oomph factor
RKO has it moments
Curb Stomp looked vicious, even the RKO counter was amazing
Every Raw is DVR'ed @4x speed, I pick up on everything going at that speed
Only time I stop is for Sasha Banks, she is fine to look at, but her wrestling game is on point too
Last female wrestler to do that was Victoria/Tara (TNA?)
So yeah what gives?
Who in the blue fuck nerfed super moves aka finishers?
Like seriously I'm suppose to take The Superman Punch or AJ's Flying Forearm as lethal maneuvers...
Like fuck most moves recently make me feel like these moves are what set up to the goddamn finisher
Like Ziggy's Zig Zag looks like he hurt himself more than his opponent
Even Baron Corbin, Mr. Lone Wolf looks like a bear hug where he squeezed to hard and his legs gave out
I still like the F5, it stands out, gives it the oomph factor
RKO has it moments
Curb Stomp looked vicious, even the RKO counter was amazing
Every Raw is DVR'ed @4x speed, I pick up on everything going at that speed
Only time I stop is for Sasha Banks, she is fine to look at, but her wrestling game is on point too
Last female wrestler to do that was Victoria/Tara (TNA?)
So yeah what gives?
The Silver
Member
Dude really needs to work on his expressions.Not so fast
twinturbo2
butthurt Heat fan
This fucking jif. 😂
There is definitely truth in this.
Joe Shlabotnik
Banned
Some of that is just reducing risky moves.
I thought you were going to mention all the finisher kick-outs, actually. I'd put a moratorium on all finisher kick-outs for at least a year in my fantasy ownership of WWE. They can tease finishers five times in a match if they want, but no one kicks out of anyone's finisher for a looooong time.
Barrage
Member
Hopefully theyre starting on that, I expected way more Pedigrees/Spears at WM. Think they know Brock/Reigns was overkill in that regard.
But really, whats going to decide that is what Cena does when he gets back.
Q
Queen of Hunting
Unconfirmed Member
does wwe really care that much about weekly ratings now though ? like with the network and that i can just tune into the ppv and ill know the stories and xyz since last ppv before each match.
They tell their investors that ratings don't matter, but they told USA Network that they were basically DVR proof like live sports which is how they managed to get an increase in TV rights fees.
So yes, it does matter and they do care. They just can't do anything about it so the narrative they try to set now is that ratings don't matter.
Hidden One
Member
I agree, its time for a change. This set is old and tired. They need to bring back the fist on Smackdown too.I mentioned this previously in this thread, but the production values of Raw are one example of how "outdated" Raw comes off in terms of presentation, and it's honestly a relatively "easy fix" in relation to their other issues.
They've basically been using the same set for Raw for years now:
They use the same camera angles as they have previously.
They use the same style of replays during the match (split-screen stuff).
And even the theme song they use for Raw is relatively low-key compared to previous Raw themes in the past (subjective I know, but still).
All of it is something that's been in dire need of an overhaul for awhile now.
They make a shit ton of money from their tv deal, when it time to redo it they are fucked.
Here the breakdown
Media Division 2015 Break Down
– Total Revenue of $425.4 million (65 percent of the total), up 25 percent from $339.9 million in 2014.
Profit was $154.4 million, doubling profit of $75.4 million in 2014.
TV Revenue was $231.1 million, up 31 percent from $176.7 million in 2014.
WWE Network Revenue was $159.4 million, up 39 percent from $115.0 million in 2014.
Home Entertainment Revenue was $13.4 million, cut in half from $27.3 million in 2014.
Digital Media Revenue was $21.5 million, up three percent from $20.9 million in 2014.
GraveRobberX
Platinum Trophy: Learned to Shit While Upright Again.
I understand reducing risky moves, but I'm not asking for Jeff Hardy give up your body kind of moves day in and day out
As shitty as the Leg Drop of Hogans was, with the big boot combo it looked like he gave his opponent the "daze" phase to get the 1-2-3 pin
Some of these moves just look like setup to something big
Just everything feels like it could use some more of that lethal feeling if you understand what I'm trying to say
The irony is Hogan's leg drop gradually destroyed his hips and back. He's said more than once if he went back in time, he'd have picked a different finisher.
vatstep
This poster pulses with an appeal so broad the typical restraints of our societies fall by the wayside.
You seem to be a big fan of fists.
This type of attitude is going to bite them in the ass so hard. People watch live sports because they want to experience the big plays and victories as they are happening. For wrestling, it doesn't matter if you watched it live or watched it the next day, the experience is the same.
Liu Kang Baking A Pie
Member
I'm not understanding you here. This is the exact reason I and many others I know watch wrestling live when possible. There's nothing like getting worked or surprised along with the rest of the world. It's a shared experience.
I just wanted to reply to this and say that ghst is in my top 5 all-time neogaf posters.
Honestly they're just out of ideas. Also a good finisher can be done on anyone, and with the influx of smaller guys, you need something for that inevitable Big Show match. Though any move can get over if it's protected enough.
I can understand why people would watch big events like WrestleMania or Takeovers live. It's the weekly shows I'm talking about. I feel like the experience doesn't change much if you watch them live vs. DVR/Stream.
Heavy_D206
Member
Raw has gone downhill since Mania, which is crazy because I was actually excited to have Shane back in the picture, but No Vince and No Trips makes things boring for me.
Plus I'm really not feeling Reigns vs Styles as the main event.
Plus I'm really not feeling Reigns vs Styles as the main event.
twinturbo2
butthurt Heat fan
Styles is getting buried, is he?
Mania was a dumpster fire though?
Bruce Springsteen
Member
by that time WWE RAW and Smackdown will be only on WWE Network, which I think is their ultimate goal anyway
Not sure how someone who just made their WWE debut a few months ago and is headlining their second straight PPV is considered being buried, unless you think only winning the title means anything (which is not true at all)
crimzonflame
Member
Why dont they let the fans do the bookings?
...........since when do they care about what the fans really want unless the fans force them to change plans?
twinturbo2
butthurt Heat fan
Someone might put the WWE Championship on David Arquette.
ShadowSwordmaster
Banned
That would be much worse in some cases.
- Status