The moment the wedding angle closed the final WWE Raw of 2019, there was only one thing on everyone's mind; how many views on YouTube would the segment get?
Viewership and ratings dominate the headlines, but they aren't the only numbers that matter in the world of WWE. The company has done an outstanding job over the years building its YouTube page, which currently has 52.7 million subscribers.
Following the wedding segment, which featured the return of Liv Morgan and the reveal that she was Lana's lover, many expected the official WWE video to do big numbers. The angle, for better or worse, created a buzz, featured a shocking reveal, and had an over-the-top absurdity that typically draws well on YouTube. And the segment featured four attractive WWE superstars, which counts for plenty in the world of YouTube.
As of this writing, roughly 17 hours after the segment was posted online, the video sits at 2.1 million viewers. It's the most-watched segment from Monday's Raw, so you could call it a success. But, how does it stack up to other top videos on the year?
The following data is a comparison of WWE Raw video views based on a similar timeframe (roughly 16-17 hours after initial upload).
- On Jan. 14, Braun Strowman pushing over Vince McMahon's limo did 2 million views while a production assistant walking in on a changing Alexa Bliss did 1.9 million views.
- Finn Balor vs. Braun Strowman from Jan. 23 did 2 million views.
- Feb. 25 was a big night as Batista attacking Ric Flair (3.7 million views), Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins saving Dean Ambrose (3.7 million views) and Reigns announcing he was in remission (2 million views) all did strong numbers.
- The Shield reuniting on the Mar. 4 was at 2.3 million views.
- June 3 had the Braun Strowman vs. Bobby Lashley arm-wrestling contest at 2.7 million views and Brock Lesnar mauling Seth Rollins at 2.1 million views.
- Roman Reigns storming in Shane McMahon's VIP office on June 17 posted 2.7 million views.
- The Undertaker returning to help Roman Reigns on June 24 led to 4.3 million views.
- Lashley and Strowman crashing through the stage was at 2 million views on July 1.
- Samoa Joe and Roman Reigns sparking an all-out brawl on July 29 had 2.4 million views.
- Goldberg returning on Aug. 5 to battle Dolph Ziggler at SummerSlam had 2.4 million views.
- AJ Styles vs. Braun Strowman on Aug. 26 drew 2.2 million views.
- Sept. 2 had The OC interrupting the contract signing between Seth Rollins and Braun Strowman, which had 2.2 million views
- On Sept. 16, Lana's return and makeout session with Bobby Lashley posted 1.9 million views
- Tyson Fury threatening to knockout Braun Strowman on Oct. 14 drew 2.3 million views.
- The following week (Oct. 21), Fury's brawl with Strowman did 2 million views.
- Lana and Lashley crushing Rusev had 3.3 million views on Oct. 28.
Other strong YouTube numbers include Lana and Lashley being arrested (2.7 million views) and Brock Lesnar learning about the stipulation from Money in the Bank (5.1 million views). Numbers for those videos were tracked over 24 hours after they were posted.
So, while the wedding segment performed strong on Monday, the viewership numbers were roughly in line with other major segments from the year and certainly didn't stand out as much as people thought they might. If only they could have worked in Braun Strowman.
