Tag: ratings

WWE SmackDown viewership up, lowest 18-49 rating of 2025

Posted on by Paul Fontaine

Friday night’s WWE SmackDown episode averaged 1.383 million viewers on USA Network, up 7.2 percent from the previous week. Despite the increase, this is still the third-lowest audience total the show has done so far this year.

SmackDown finished fourth on television with a 0.33 rating in the 18-49 demo. That’s down 8.3 percent from last week and is the lowest rating the show has done since November 15 of last year, when it aired on the same day as the Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul Netflix fight.

The show went head-to-head with an NBA Western Conference Finals game on TNT that topped the TV charts with a 1.83 rating in 18-49 and 5.839 million viewers overall, as well as facing competition from an NHL Western Conference Finals game on ESPN that drew a 0.40 in the demo and averaged 1.398 million viewers.

As compared to the same week in 2024, when SmackDown still aired on Fox, the overall viewership was down 35.6 percent while the 18-49 rating was down 41.1 percent.

Listed below are the last 11 weeks of viewership numbers and 18-49 demo ratings for SmackDown, along with the 10-week average in both categories. This week’s show was down 7.8 percent in viewers and 25 percent in 18-49 as compared to the recent averages.

AEW Collision ratings down following shift to TBS

Posted on by Paul Fontaine

Last night’s episode of AEW Collision, airing on TBS instead of TNT and moving nights to avoid going head to head with WWE’s Saturday Night’s Main Event special, averaged 353,000 viewers. That’s down 11.3% from last week’s Saturday airing and down 7.6% from May 8th, the last time it aired on a Thursday.

Collision finished 12th on the cable charts with a 0.08 rating in the 18-49 demo. That’s the same rating the show did last Saturday and down 11.1% from the previous Thursday airing of the show two weeks ago.

The show went head to head with the NBA playoffs on ESPN and the Stanley Cup playoffs on TNT, with those games and programming related to them dominating the top of the charts.

As compared to the same week in 2024, when the show aired on it’s regular night, the overall viewership was down 14.9% while the 18-49 rating was down 46.7%. This year’s numbers do not include viewership on the Max streaming service.

Listed below are the last 11 weeks of overall viewership and 18-49 demo ratings for AEW Collision as well as the 10 week average in both categories. This week’s show was down 12.7% in overall viewers and 27.3% in 18-49 as compared to recent averages.

WWE NXT viewership up, 18-49 rating down for Battleground go-home show

Posted on by Paul Fontaine

Tuesday night’s WWE NXT episode averaged 697,000 viewers on The CW, up five percent from last week. It’s the best audience total for the show since March 25.

In the 18-49 demo, NXT drew a 0.13 rating. That’s down 13.3 percent from last week and ties the lowest rating the show has done on The CW. It’s the lowest overall rating NXT has done in that category since March 21, 2023 when it still aired on USA Network.

NXT went against the season finale of CBS series “FBI,” which was the most-watched show on network television on Tuesday night. There was also big sports competition on cable with the start of conference finals series in both the NBA and NHL. The Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Minnesota Timberwolves NBA game averaged nearly five million viewers on ESPN while drawing a 1.64 rating in the 18-49 demo. The NHL game between the Florida Panthers and Carolina Hurricanes averaged 1.3 million viewers on TNT and drew a 0.40 rating.

As compared to the same week in 2024, when the show aired on USA Network, NXT’s overall viewership was up 6.6 percent while the 18-49 rating was down 23.5 percent, continuing the pattern of NXT’s audience skewing much older on The CW than it did on cable.

Listed below are the last 11 weeks of viewership totals and 18-49 demo ratings for NXT, as well as the 10-week average in both categories. This week’s show was up 2.2 percent in overall viewers but down 13.3 percent in 18-49 as compared to the recent averages.

WWE SmackDown draws lowest ratings of 2025

Posted on by Paul Fontaine

Friday night’s episode of WWE SmackDown averaged 1.29 million viewers on the USA Network, down 11.3% from the previous week. It’s the lowest audience for the show since November 15th of last year.

The show finished fourth on cable and all of television with a 0.36 rating in the 18-49 demo. That’s down 12.2% from last week and is also the lowest rating the show has done in that category since November 15.

The show went head-to-head with the deciding Game 6 of the NBA playoff series between the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks, which topped all television with 5.726 million viewers and a 1.63 18-49 rating. The pregame show and SportsCenter coverage immediately following the game were the only other two shows to beat SmackDown.

As compared to the same week in 2024, the overall audience for the show was down 41% while the 18-49 rating was down 39%.

Listed below are the last 11 weeks of overall viewership and 18-49 demo ratings for WWE SmackDown on the USA Network as well as the 10 week average in both categories. This week’s show was down 16.5% in overall viewers and 21.7% in 18-49 as compared to recent averages.

WOR: Maxx Justice, Jim Ross, Sabu, Collision issues, Smackdown

Posted on by Bryan Alvarez

Wrestling Observer Radio with Bryan Alvarez and Dave Meltzer returns with tons of news including the death of Maxx Justice, updates on Jim Ross and Sabu, Darby makes it to the top, what happened with Collision, Smackdown recap, ratings, all the latest from Mexico, UFC and more! A fun show as always so check it out~!

Timestamps:
Start: Maxx Justice passes away, Jim Ross announces colon cancer diagnosis
11:41: Dave Meltzer’s thoughts on Sabu and his last match
16:45: Darby Allin reaches the top of Mt. Everest, AEW Collision issues
21:48: WWE Backlash numbers, LFG winners
27:52: Ratings
33:59: Notes on CMLL/Arena Mexico, AAA Triplemania Regia, AJPW Champion Carnival winner
37:04: UFC notes
42:38: Lineups for the week
49:12: Dave Meltzer’s AEW Collision notes
55:13: WWE SmackDown recap

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WWE NXT viewership and 18-49 demo rating up

Posted on by Paul Fontaine

Tuesday night’s WWE NXT episode averaged 664,000 viewers on The CW, up 1.8 percent from last week. Despite the increase, this is the fourth-lowest audience total the show has drawn so far in 2025.

NXT drew a 0.15 rating in the 18-49 demo. That’s up 7.1 percent from last week but ties the third-lowest rating the show has done in that category for the year to date. NXT tied for eighth on English-language network television of the 12 shows that aired in prime time.

The episode went head-to-head with an Indiana Pacers vs. Cleveland Cavaliers NBA playoff game on TNT that topped all of television with a 1.05 rating in the 18-49 demo and drew 3.424 million viewers overall. It also faced competition from a Winnipeg Jets vs. Dallas Stars NHL playoff game on ESPN that did a 0.35 rating in 18-49 and averaged 1.153 million viewers.

As compared to the same week in 2024, when the show still aired on USA Network, NXT’s overall viewership was up 17.1 percent while its 18-49 rating was down 16.7 percent, so the audience continues its trend of skewing much older on The CW.

Listed below are the last 11 weeks of viewership totals and 18-49 demo ratings for NXT, as well as the 10-week average in both categories. This week’s show was down 3.1 percent in viewers but steady in 18-49 as compared to the recent averages.

WWE SmackDown ratings up, ranks second on TV charts

Posted on by Paul Fontaine

Friday night’s WWE SmackDown episode — the go-home show for Backlash — averaged 1.455 million viewers on USA Network, up 3.5 percent from the previous week. It’s still the second-lowest audience total for the show since February 14.

SmackDown finished second on all of television in prime time with a 0.41 rating in the 18-49 demo. That’s up 10.8 percent from last week but is the second-lowest rating the show has done in that category since April 4.

The episode went head-to-head with a Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Indiana Pacers NBA playoff game on ESPN that was the top program on television with a 1.18 rating in 18-49 and 3.913 million viewers overall. It also went against an NHL playoff game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida panthers that finished third with a 0.28 rating and 985,000 viewers on TNT.

As compared to the same week in 2024, when the show still aired on Fox, SmackDown’s overall viewership was down 31.8 percent while its 18-49 rating was down 33.9 percent,

Listed below are the last 11 weeks of viewership numbers and 18-49 demo ratings for SmackDown, as well as the 10-week average in both categories. This week’s show was down 7.7 percent in viewers and 12.8 percent in 18-49 as compared to the recent averages.

AEW Collision ratings up for Thursday episode

Posted on by Paul Fontaine

The May 8 episode of AEW Collision, airing live on Thursday night, averaged 382,000 viewers on TBS. That’s up 12 percent from what the show did in its regular time slot the previous Saturday and up 8.2 percent from the last time the show aired on a Thursday on April 17. This is the third-highest audience total for Collision since March 22.

In the 18-49 demo, Collision drew a 0.09 rating. That’s up 50 percent from the previous Saturday and up 12.5 percent from the last Thursday airing. It finished ninth on the primetime cable charts in that category, and this also ties the third highest rating for the show since the March 22 episode.

Collision, aside from being off its regular night, went up against the NBA playoffs on TNT and the Stanley Cup playoffs on ESPN which took the top two spots on the cable charts.

As compared to the same week in 2024, when the show aired in its regular slot, Collision’s overall viewership was up 1.1 percent while the 18-49 rating was down 25 percent. This year’s numbers do not include people watching on Max.

Listed below are the last 11 weeks of overall viewership totals and 18-49 demo ratings for Collision, as well as the 10-week average in both categories. This week’s show was down 7.6 percent in overall viewers and 18.2 percent in 18-49 as compared to the recent averages.

AEW Dynamite ratings identical to last week

Posted on by Paul Fontaine

Wednesday night’s episode of AEW Dynamite averaged 629,000 viewers on TBS, the exact same viewership number the show did last week. It ties the highest audience total Dynamite has done since April 9.

In the 18-49 demo, Dynamite drew a 0.16 rating. That’s also identical to last week’s number, and it ties the second-lowest rating the show has done in that category since March 5.

The show went head-to-head with the New York Knicks vs. Boston Celtics in the NBA playoffs as well as a Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Florida Panthers NHL playoff game. The NBA game averaged 3.162 million viewers and drew a 1.00 demo rating on TNT while the NHL did 743,000 viewers and a 0.24 rating on ESPN.

As compared to the same week in 2024, Dynamite’s overall viewership was down 11.5 percent while its 18-49 rating was down 33.3 percent. This year’s numbers do not include streaming data from Max, so it’s possible there were more people watching year-over-year.

Listed below are the last 11 weeks of viewership totals and 18-49 demo ratings for Dynamite, along with the 10-week average in both categories. This week’s show was up 1.9 percent in overall viewers and steady in 18-49 as compared to the recent averages.

WWE NXT viewership and 18-49 demo rating down

Posted on by Paul Fontaine

Tuesday night’s WWE NXT episode averaged 652,000 viewers on The CW, down 3.3 percent from last week. It’s the lowest audience total for the show since April 1 and is NXT’s second-lowest viewership of the year so far in 2025.

In the 18-49 demo, NXT drew a 0.14 rating. That’s down 6.7 percent from last week and ties the lowest rating the show has done in that category since December 3 of last year. NXT tied for ninth place among English-language shows on network television.

NXT went head-to-head with an Indiana Pacers vs. Cleveland Cavaliers NBA playoff game on TNT that topped the cable charts with a 1.02 rating in the 18-49 demo and averaged 3.444 million viewers overall. There was also competition from a Carolina Hurricanes vs. Washington Capitals NHL playoff game on ESPN that finished second on cable with a 0.42 rating in the demo and 1.334 million overall viewers.

As compared to the same week in 2024, when the show still aired on USA Network, NXT’s overall viewership was down 1.1 percent while the 18-49 rating was down 26.3 percent, so the viewership continues its trend of skewing much older on The CW.

Listed below are the last 11 weeks of viewership totals and 18-49 demo ratings for NXT, along with the 10-week average in both categories. This week’s episode was down 6.9 percent in overall viewers and 12.5 percent in 18-49 as compared to the recent averages.

AEW Collision ratings down with shift to TBS

Posted on by Paul Fontaine

Saturday night’s AEW Collision episode averaged 341,000 viewers on TBS, down 51.8 percent from the previous week when the show aired on its normal home of TNT. This is the lowest audience total for Collision since April 5.

Collision drew a 0.06 rating in the 18-49 demo. That’s down 71.4 percent from last week (which had an NBA lead-in and was one of Collision’s best ratings ever). This ties the lowest rating the show has done in the demo since February 1, when it went head-to-head with WWE Royal Rumble.

There was stronger-than-usual sports competition on the night with TNT and TruTV both airing an NBA playoff game, which was the reason why Collision moved stations, as well as the UFC Fight Night prelims on ESPN. ABC also aired an NHL playoff game opposite Collision.

There is no year-over-year comparison this week as Collision was pre-empted in 2024 due to TNT airing the NBA in its place.

Listed below are the last 11 weeks of viewership numbers and 18-49 demo ratings for Collision, along with the 10-week average in both categories. This week’s show was down 19.1 percent in overall viewers and 50 percent in 18-49 as compared to the recent averages.

WWE SmackDown draws lowest 18-49 demo rating of 2025

Posted on by Paul Fontaine

Friday night’s WWE SmackDown episode averaged 1.406 million viewers on USA Network, down 12.1 percent from the previous week. It’s the lowest audience total for the show since April 4 and is the third-lowest viewership SmackDown has done so far this year.

In the 18-49 demo, SmackDown finished third on television in prime time with a 0.37 rating. That’s a 27.5 percent decrease from last week and is the lowest rating SmackDown has done in 2025. It ties the lowest number for the show in 18-49 since November 15 of last year.

The show went head-to-head with an NBA playoff game on ESPN that topped the TV charts with a 1.40 rating in 18-49 and averaged more than 4.6 million viewers overall, as well as going against an NHL playoff game that did a 0.20 rating and 644,000 viewers on TNT.

As compared to the same week in 2024, when the show still aired on Fox, SmackDown’s overall viewership was down 34.5 percent while its 18-49 rating was down 38.3 percent.

Listed below are the last 11 weeks of viewership totals and 18-49 demo ratings for SmackDown, along with the 10-week average in both categories. This week’s show was down 12.4 percent in viewers and 22.9 percent in 18-49 as compared to the recent averages.

WWE NXT viewership and 18-49 demo rating down

Posted on by Paul Fontaine

Tuesday night’s WWE NXT episode averaged 674,000 viewers on The CW, down 1.8 percent from last week. It’s the third-lowest audience total the show has done in 2025 so far.

NXT drew a 0.15 rating in the 18-49 demo. That’s down 11.8 percent from last week and ties the second-lowest rating the show has done in that category since the Christmas Eve episode. NXT was tied for 11th among the 13 English-language shows on broadcast television for the night.

The show had stronger-than-usual sports competition with NHL playoff games on both ESPN and TBS as well as NBA playoff games on TNT and NBA TV all running head-to-head. The NBA game on TNT topped all of television with a 0.80 rating in the 18-49 demo.

As compared to the same week in 2024, when the show still aired on USA Network, NXT’s overall viewership was up 19.5 percent while its 18-49 rating was up 7.1 percent.

Listed below are the last 11 weeks of viewership numbers and 18-49 demo ratings for NXT, as well as the 10-week average in both categories. This week’s show was down 3.9 percent in overall viewers and 6.3 percent in 18-49 as compared to the recent averages.

NBA playoff lead-in boosts AEW Collision to best viewership since 2023

Posted on by Paul Fontaine

With help from an NBA playoff lead-in, AEW Collision drew some of its best numbers in show history on Saturday night.

The episode averaged 707,000 viewers on TNT, up 100.3 percent from the previous week’s Spring BreakThru special (that aired on a Thursday). This is the best audience total for Collision since July 29, 2023 and is the third-largest viewership in show history.

Collision drew a 0.21 rating in the 18-49 demo. That’s up 162.5 percent from Spring BreakThru and is the highest rating the show has done in the demo since the special Sunday night one-hour episode on March 23 of this year. It ties the best rating Collision has done on a Saturday since the July 29, 2023 episode.

The Denver Nuggets vs. Los Angeles Clippers NBA game on TNT leading into Collision averaged 3.387 million viewers and drew a 1.12 rating in 18-49 — but Collision has had stronger lead-ins in the past and obviously did not retain this level of audience then.

As compared to the same week in 2024, Collision’s overall viewership was up 13.9 percent while the 18-49 rating was steady. This year’s numbers do not include people streaming the show on Max, though, so realistically the 18-49 number would be higher in 2025.

Listed below are the last 11 weeks of viewership numbers and 18-49 demo ratings for Collision, as well as the 10-week average in both categories. This week’s show was up 76.3 percent in viewers and 75 percent in 18-49 as compared to the recent averages.

AEW Dynamite draws lowest viewership of 2025

Posted on by Paul Fontaine

Wednesday night’s AEW Dynamite episode averaged 521,000 viewers on TBS, down 16.5 percent from last week. It’s the lowest viewership total for the show since October 8 of last year, a week where Dynamite was moved to Tuesday opposite WWE NXT.

This is the lowest amount of TV viewers for a Wednesday airing of Dynamite since June 19, 2024.

In the 18-49 demo, Dynamite drew a 0.14 rating. That’s down 17.7 percent from last week. It’s the lowest rating the show has done in that category since March 5 and is the second-lowest number Dynamite has ever done on a Wednesday night.

The episode aired live on the West Coast due to the NHL. It went head-to-head with both the NBA and NHL playoffs, as it will most weeks for the next couple of months.

As compared to the same week in 2024, Dynamite’s overall viewership was down 23.7 percent while the 18-49 rating was down 39.1 percent. This year’s numbers do not include people streaming the show on Max.

Listed below are the last 11 weeks of viewership totals and 18-49 demo ratings for Dynamite, as well as the 10-week average in both categories. This week’s show was down 15.5 percent in viewers and 17.7 percent in 18-49 as compared to the recent averages.