Does Raw need to be themed to boost ratings?

[The Rick Jericho]

NXT does it with their shows, with the ratings hitting historical lows, what can be done to increase ratings? We do not need those boring legends night, because that does not add to the show. We need set decorations and the whole nine yards. So what would you do?

Monday Night Nitro?
TLC?
Hell in a Cell?
ECW One Night Stand?
Taboo Monday?
Raw is War?

[Finish Uncle Muffin’s Story]

They need to keep building on the halfway decent shows they've done lately and hope that viewership gets a little boost once live audiences return. They've done the whole themed show thing plenty and it's done nothing to change the ratings. Current ratings are a combination of viewers leaving and the way in which viewers consuming their content changing. WWE would like you to believe it's more the latter, but I think it's because the product's pretty stale overall.

["Gizzark" Mike Wronglevenay]

No themed show is going to fix any of the actual issues. Bad booking is bad, theme or no theme.

[Fade]

..Legends night, you say??

[Final Countdown Jones]

They haven't been able to pop significant ratings boosts off of theme nights in years. WWE spent so long going to that well and shitting the bed on themed specials and milestone episodes, and frankly there's just no reason to think a themed episode would deliver. The problem with Legends Night wasn't that the format inherently sucks--although it kind of sucks--but that they never bothered to make the show interesting. Why is anybody going to believe that a themed Raw will be any different?

NXT's specials do decent, as do AEW's, but it's important to note that neither holds monthly PPVs; these special episodes become places for big matches to go down. We get title matches and big feud matches on those because the PPVs will typically only be quarterly-ish. On the main roster there is literally no room for any of that, and PPVs are already so devalued and meaningless that I can't imagine what somethign less important than a B PPV is supposed to look like as a 'draw'.

[Bo Rida]

They've burned through almost every short-term fix. The type of show that might once have popped ratings were so bad many won't make the mistake again (eg that raw anniversary show at two locations).

Only consistent long-term solutions will work now and that's not been something they've been capable of for a long time.

That said some differentiation would help. A microcosm is you can anticipate how ridiculous the elite will look each week while people need approval to change looks in WWE. Location matters in aew and njpw, WWE try to make every show look the same. It's not the sort of thing that'll boost to ratings but does make things feel less stale.

[EoE: Well There's Your Problem]

Funnily enough, I’m seeing an article going around that Stephanie is holding pitch meetings with the networks for this kind of thing at the end of the month. So she’ll go back to Vince with ideas and consult with him before he inevitably ignores it all completely and makes his usual unilateral decision.

[Deleted]

Wouldn't do anything to change how any time WWE does put on a show that does better than average ratings they consistently shit the bed on it and none of those new people stick around the next week.

[Deleted]

Theme shows are band aids for WWE it is a temporary jump that does nothing for the long term.

The overall creative , writing etc is what needs to be fixed moe so really it needs a whole f***ing overhaul.

[EoE: Well There's Your Problem]

Jul 8, 2021 11:05:39 GMT -5 Bo Rida said:

Only consistent long-term solutions will work now and that's not been something they've been capable of for a long time.

I don’t disagree that a long-term solution is necessary. But when there’s literally zero expectation of belief that any of it will pay off, it’s hard to know where to even start other than the nuclear option that they’ll never take.

I think of the common criticism of “They don’t tell long-term stories”. Again, I’m not disagreeing with that. But it’s not the kind of thing that they can just START doing in their current state and expect you or me to take it at face value that they’ll follow through on it. Even if they outright said “Keep an eye on this thing, that’ll be important in three-to-six months”, we’d be like “Yeah, right, like f*** it will”. They’d have to just do it, ignore all that dismissive noise, COMMIT TO ITS NATURAL CONCLUSION, and when they get to that, hope that we then turn around and go “OK, all of that made sense”. And maybe then we might start going on the ride again as the story is actually going, not just after it is finished.

[polarbearpete]

I think themed episodes would definitely help break up the “sameness” feeling that each episode of Raw tends to have. Even when the shows are very well booked like the last few weeks, there is still a lack of distinction and gravitas to each episode due to in large part the 3 hour runtime.

Now I’m not saying to continuously run legends nights, but doing things like Raw Roulette, Old School Raw, a show featuring all titles on the line, a 1-night King of the Ring tournament, etc can certainly help give each episode more meaning than is typically seen. Doing this in tandem with the return to live crowds, as well as the continued strong booking, is Raw’s best bet to improve ratings.

[Perd]

I am here For Raw: Disco Night.

[Wieners=$$$]

Two words: Free Hats

[bob]

CC night: whatever wacky thing GuyOfOwnage's CC comes up with happens for better or worse

[The Rick Jericho]

[horsemen4ever]

So like wrestling version of You Can't Do That On Television.

[Deleted]

TIME FOR ANOTHER LEGENDS NIGHT!!!

[Deleted]

Trade Dolph Ziggler to Raw, and then replace him with Dog Ziggler.

[john84]

Jul 8, 2021 12:37:02 GMT -5 @dax said:

TIME FOR ANOTHER LEGENDS NIGHT!!!

[JoDaNa1281]

Jul 8, 2021 11:54:29 GMT -5 Wieners=$$$ said:

Two words: Free Hats