Spike TV ended its five-year television partnership with World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. with a whimper and a few on-air edits.
Spike’s Monday Night Raw averaged a 3.19 household rating, slightly above the skein’s 3.0 year-to-date mark. But the show only drew only 4 million viewers (two years and older), the 11th-lowest mark for Raw on Spike, according to the network.
On-air, Spike rebuffed WWE president Vince McMahon’s attempt to promote the franchise’s move to USA Network next week. After praising its relationship with Spike, McMahon began to say, “Next week, Monday Night Raw returns,” at which point the network muted his speech before he could say, “to USA Network.” Spike eventually let a few USA references slip through during the show.
A Spike executive would only say, “We had a good five years with the WWE and we wish them well.”
