'Raw’ Pins a Benchmark

15 years

Raw averaged 2.8 million total viewers per week in 1993, its first year on USA Network.

Raw has televised 758 episodes, the most ever for a television series. Gunsmoke is second with 635 original episodes during its 20-year run on CBS (1955-75), according to WWE.

Raw was moved to TNN (now Spike TV) in 2000 as part of a $31 million deal with Viacom. USA Network regained rights in 2005.

USA Network tonight (Dec. 10) will televise a three-hour show celebrating the 15th anniversary of World Wrestling Entertainment’s Monday Night Raw.

In 1995 Raw gets competition from the Ted Turner-backed WCW Monday Nitro show on TNT. WWE effectively ended the Monday night wrestling war by buying WCW for $4.3 million.

In 2007, Raw is averaging 5.2 million total viewers per week, an increase of 86% over 15 years.