Tag: ratings

WWE NXT ratings up for September 2 episode

Posted on by Paul Fontaine

Tuesday night’s WWE NXT episode averaged 655,000 viewers on The CW, a 6.3 percent increase from last week. Though up week-over-week, this is the second-lowest audience total for the show since July 15.

NXT drew a 0.14 rating in the 18-49 demo. That’s up 16.7 percent from last week but is also the second-lowest rating the show has done in that category since the July 15 episode.

The show finished eighth on television in prime time for the night. It aired head-to-head with the US Open tennis tournament on ESPN, which ranked second for the night in the demo behind NBC’s America’s Got Talent. The tennis broadcast did a 0.33 rating in 18-49 and averaged 1.794 million viewers overall.

As compared to the same week in 2024, when the show still aired on USA Network, NXT’s overall viewership was up 3.8 percent while the 18-49 rating was down 17.8 percent.

Listed below are the last 11 weeks of viewership numbers and 18-49 demo ratings, as well as the 10-week average in both categories. This week’s show was down 3.9 percent in viewers and 6.7 percent in 18-49 as compared to the recent averages.

AEW Dynamite draws record low ratings for Wednesday episode

Posted on by Paul Fontaine

Wednesday night’s AEW Dynamite episode averaged 472,000 viewers on TBS — a 19.3 percent drop from last week. This is the lowest audience total for the show since October 8 of last year (when Dynamite was moved to Tuesday and went against WWE NXT) and is the lowest viewership the show has ever done on a Wednesday night.

Dynamite drew a 0.11 rating in the 18-49 demo. That’s a decline of 15.4 percent from last week and is also the lowest number the show has done since October 8, 2024. It’s the second-lowest rating Dynamite has done in its history regardless of day or time slot.

According to Wrestlenomics, Dynamite finished approximately seventh on cable for the night in the key demo.

As compared to the same week in 2024, the show’s overall viewership was down 28.5 percent while the 18-49 rating was down 42.1 percent. This year’s numbers do not include viewers watching the show on HBO Max.

Listed below are the last 11 weeks of viewership numbers and 18-49 demo ratings for Dynamite, along with the 10-week average in both categories. This week’s episode was down 23.8 percent in viewers and 31.3 percent in 18-49 as compared to the recent averages.

AEW Collision draws lowest ratings of 2025

Posted on by Paul Fontaine

Saturday night’s AEW Collision episode averaged 195,000 viewers on TNT, down 30.6 percent from the previous week. It’s the lowest viewership total for the show since November 30 of last year.

In the 18-49 demo, Collision drew a 0.04 rating. That’s down 42.9 percent from last week and also ties the lowest rating the show has done since the November 30, 2024 episode.

The show went head-to-head with college football on several cable and network stations, with those week one games dominating the TV charts for the day. Collision did finish 10th on cable in prime time in the key demo.

As compared to the same week in 2024, Collision was down 32.5 percent in overall viewers and 60 percent in 18-49. This year’s numbers do not include viewers from the HBO Max simulcast.

Listed below are the last 11 weeks of viewership totals and 18-49 demo ratings for Collision, along with the 10-week average in both categories. This week’s show was down 42.9 percent in viewers and 50 percent in 18-49 as compared to the recent averages.

WWE SmackDown draws record low ratings

Posted on by Paul Fontaine

Friday night’s Clash in Paris go-home edition of WWE SmackDown averaged 1.147 million viewers on USA Network, down 8.8 percent from the previous week. It’s the lowest viewership total for the show since moving to USA Network and is the lowest overall number for SmackDown since November 24, 2023 — when it was moved from Fox to FS1 that week due to college football.

This episode was taped in France earlier in the day and had already aired live on Netflix overseas before the U.S. broadcast. It drew a 0.28 rating in the 18-49 demo on USA Network, which is down 20 percent from last week. It’s the lowest rating SmackDown has ever drawn on USA and also matches the lowest overall number for the show since the November 24, 2023 episode.

The show finished third for the night (second on cable) on the 18-49 charts, trailing two college football games. The top-rated game averaged 3.483 million viewers on ESPN and drew a 0.89 rating in the 18-49 demo. Another game on Fox finished second with a 0.64 rating in the demo and 2.832 million viewers overall.

As compared to the same week in 2024, when the show still aired on Fox, SmackDown’s overall viewership was down 44.2 percent while the 18-49 rating was down 47.2 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 episode was down 21.3 percent in viewers and 31.7 percent in 18-49 as compared to the recent averages.

AEW Dynamite does record low 18-49 demo rating for Wednesday episode

Posted on by Paul Fontaine

Wednesday night’s Forbidden Door fallout episode of AEW Dynamite averaged 585,000 viewers on TBS, up 3.5 percent from last week but marking the second-lowest audience total for the show since July 2.

In the 18-49 demo, Dynamite drew a 0.13 rating. That’s an 18.8 percent decrease from last week and ties the lowest rating the show has ever done on a Wednesday night.

Dynamite ranked fourth on cable in prime time in the demo, trailing US Open tennis and Fox News programming. The tennis broadcast on ESPN averaged 1.145 million viewers overall with a 0.16 rating in 18-49.

As compared to the same week in 2024, Dynamite’s overall viewership was down 16.1 percent while the 18-49 rating was down 43.5 percent. This year’s numbers do not include viewers from the HBO Max simulcast.

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 down 7.8 percent in viewers and 18.8 percent in 18-49 as compared to the recent averages.

AEW Collision viewership down, key demo rating increases

Posted on by Paul Fontaine

Saturday night’s AEW Collision episode averaged 281,000 viewers on TNT, down 1.8 percent from the previous week. This marks the lowest audience total for the show since March 1.

In the 18-49 demo, Collision drew a 0.07 rating. That’s up 16.7 percent from last week but ties the third-lowest rating the show has done in that category since May 3.

There was a lot of sports competition on the night with the opening of the college football season on multiple networks as well as NASCAR on NBC and an NFL preseason game on the NFL Network airing head-to-head. Collision finished eighth on the prime time cable charts in the key demo.

As compared to the same week in 2024, Collision’s overall viewership was down 36.4 percent while the 18-49 rating was down 46.2 percent. This year’s numbers do not include viewership from the HBO Max simulcast.

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 20.5 percent in viewers and 12.5 percent in 18-49 as compared to the recent averages.

AEW Dynamite ratings down for Forbidden Door go-home episode

Posted on by Paul Fontaine

Wednesday night’s Forbidden Door go-home edition of AEW Dynamite averaged 565,000 viewers on TBS, down 18.1 percent from last week. It’s the lowest audience total for the show since April 23 and is Dynamite’s second-lowest viewership so far in 2025.

The episode took place from Glasgow, Scotland and was taped a few hours in advance. It drew a 0.16 rating in the 18-49 demo. That’s down 5.9 percent from last week but ties the third-highest rating the show has done in that category since June 18.

The show went head-to-head with the Little League World Series on ESPN. It also faced competition from MTV’s The Challenge, which did above average numbers.

As compared to the same week in 2024, Dynamite’s overall viewership was down 19.1 percent while the 18-49 rating was down 33.3 percent. This year’s numbers do not include viewers from the HBO Max simulcast.

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 episode was down 11.4 percent in viewers but steady in 18-49 as compared to the recent averages.

WWE NXT ratings down for Heatwave go-home show

Posted on by Paul Fontaine

Tuesday night’s WWE NXT averaged 675,000 viewers on The CW, down 7.3 percent from last week. This ties the lowest audience total the show has done since July 22.

The episode took place from Philadelphia last night and was the go-home show for Sunday’s Heatwave PLE. It drew a 0.15 rating in the 18-49 demo, down 11.8 percent from last week and marking the lowest rating NXT has done in that category since July 15.

NXT finished seventh in prime time on all of television in the key demo. The top show for the night was America’s Got Talent on NBC, which drew a 0.32 rating.

As compared to the same week in 2024, when the show still aired on USA Network, NXT’s overall viewership was up 5.6 percent while the 18-49 rating was down 6.3 percent, so the audience continues to skew older on network television than it did on cable.

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 episode was down 2.4 percent in viewers and 6.3 percent in 18-49 as compared to the recent averages.

AEW Collision ratings drop for August 16 episode

Posted on by Paul Fontaine

Saturday night’s AEW Collision episode averaged 286,000 viewers on TNT, down 32.4 percent from the previous week. It’s the lowest audience total for the show since June 26 and the second-lowest number for Collision since March 1.

Collision drew a 0.06 rating in the 18-49 demo. That’s down 25 percent from last week and ties the lowest rating the show has done in that category since February 1.

The show went head-to-head with an NFL preseason game, the UFC 319 prelims, and AAA’s Triplemania event (which aired on WWE’s YouTube channel), among other things. The UFC prelims drew a 0.40 rating in 18-49 and 1.036 million viewers overall.

As compared to the same week in 2024, Collision’s overall viewership was down 29.6 percent while the 18-49 rating was down 53.9 percent. This year’s numbers do not include viewership from the HBO Max simulcast.

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 down 21.2 percent in overall viewers and 33.3 percent in 18-49 as compared to the recent averages.

WWE SmackDown ratings down, tops TV in key demo

Posted on by Paul Fontaine

Friday night’s WWE SmackDown averaged 1.43 million viewers on USA Network, down 8.2 percent from the previous week. It’s the lowest audience total for the show since July 11.

In the 18-49 demo, SmackDown topped all of television in prime time with a 0.35 rating. That’s down 27.1 percent from last week and is the lowest rating the show has done in that category since July 4.

The show went head-to-head with an NFL preseason game on the NFL Network that finished second in 18-49 with a 0.29 rating and averaged 1.222 million viewers. There was also a “Stand Up To Cancer” charity special simulcast on all four major US networks that combined for 4.2 million viewers and aired during the first hour of SmackDown.

As compared to the same week in 2024, when the show still aired on Fox, SmackDown’s overall viewership was down 36.5 percent while the 18-49 rating was down 42.6 percent.

Listed below are the last 11 weeks of viewership totals and 18-49 demo ratings for SmackDown, as well as the 10-week average in both categories. This week’s show was down 2.8 percent in viewers and 16.7 percent in 18-49 as compared to the recent averages.

AEW Dynamite ratings down, ranks first on cable in key demo

Posted on by Paul Fontaine

Wednesday night’s AEW Dynamite averaged 690,000 viewers on TBS, down three percent from last week. Despite the decrease, this is the second-highest audience total for the show since June 18.

Dynamite drew a 0.17 rating in the 18-49 demo. That’s down 5.6 percent from last week but ties the third-best rating the show has done in that category since the June 18 episode. Dynamite did finish first for the night on cable in the demo.

As compared to the same week in 2024, Dynamite’s overall viewership was down 1.9 percent while the 18-49 rating was down 26.1 percent. This stops a streak of two consecutive weeks where the year-over-year audience increased, but the 2025 numbers do not include viewership on HBO Max. If they did, this week’s viewership likely would be up as compared to last year.

Listed below are the last 11 weeks of viewership numbers and 18-49 demo ratings for Dynamite, along with the 10-week average in both categories. This week’s show was up 8.8 percent in viewers but steady in 18-49 as compared to the recent averages.

Daily Update: Omos, Hogan documentary ratings, KC Navarro

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Daily Update

Latest Headlines

Latest Audio

Latest YouTube Video

This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

We have one of the most news and business heavy issues of the year:

*All the details of the WWE’s deal with ESPN, what is in the deal, what isn’t, who can watch for free and why that probably won’t be for long, what ESPN Needs for it t make economic sense, as well as break-even for the ESPN UFC PPV deal and when the ESPN deal with WWE starts
*Brock Lesnar returns to WWE, how it happened, why it happened, why it was inevitable because of how TKO management views things, the double talk, comments from loads of people in WWE as well as Janel Grant’s side, exactly what was in the lawsuit that regards Lesnar and other example of TKO decisions which show a pattern
*Full coverage of SummerSlam, business details, the Rollins cash-in, Netflix numbers, attendance numbers and next PPV show
*Notes on UFC and WWE business numbers, what is up and what is down
*Hulk Hogan’s funeral, Brooke Hogan’s claims of info on Hogan’s Moves never talked about before, a ton of Hogan history, Hogan’s heyday in Japan and much more.
*Update on the G-1 Climax tournament
*Forbidden Door and the surprising record it has set and other major notes regarding the show and update n the card
*The most complete look at the ratings for all the wrestling and MMA television shows of the past week, competition, demos, why ratings were up or down, as well as Netflix numbers for Unreal and Raw.
*MJF returns to Arena Mexico and coverage of Friday’s hwo
*Salvador Lutteroth talks his fan base and AEW
*TripleMania updates
*Five Star Grand Prix updates
*Hogan documentaries
*RevPro anniversary shows
*Bloodsport notes
*A change at Discovery that is major and how that affects AEW streaming as well as notes on the current streaming deal
*How much did WBD loss or gain by losing the NBA
*Lots of injury updates
*Notes on Dustin & Cody Rhodes
*Backstage stuff in AEW ande what is and isn’t real
*Who at this point isn’t at Forbidden Door
*Ticket sales for upcoming TNA, AEW and WWE shows over the next few months
*More notes on Zuffa Boxing run by Nick Khan and  Dana White
*Peacock and WWE business
*How much is Dwayne Johnson’s WWE stock worth
*Karrion Kross and Scarlett contract update
*Raw ad rates on Netflix and comparisons to AEW on TBS

This Week’s Back Issue

FIRST TIME SUBSCRIBERS GET 50% OFF YOUR FIRST MONTH

Thursday Update

WWE

  • After reporting in July that WWE has discussed Omos having a run in Lucha Libre AAA, WrestleVotes notes that Omos could potentially make his AAA debut this Saturday at Triplemania.
  • WWE Shop has a Microman shirt on sale ahead of Triplemania, indicating that he is likely returning to AAA.
  • TMZ’s Hulk Hogan documentary averaged 1.004 million viewers on Fox on Tuesday night. In the 18-49 demo, the broadcast drew a 0.13 rating, which ranked ninth among all TV programming in prime time. WWE NXT was tied for second with a 0.17 rating. 
  • Brooke Hogan was spotted getting emotional on a walk in Orlando, Florida earlier this week, with TMZ writing that they were told “Brooke got emotional seeing the sunset … it reminded her of her father, and she was telling her husband how much Hulk would have loved it.”
  • AdWeek notes that DoorDash is set to become a presenting sponsor of WWE Raw on Netflix:
    • Regarding its offerings, the streamer’s ads leader said clients were looking forward to live programming, including WWE Raw, with Netflix partnering with DoorDash as the presenting sponsor for the new season.
  • On Insight with Chris Van Vliet, Sheamus named some of the dream guests he’d like to have on his Celtic Warrior Workouts YouTube show:
    • Roman [Reigns], obviously, would be a huge one. Rock obviously, Stone Cold. I tried to get Stone Cold during Mania, but I guess he just had knee surgery or something like that. But I want to start doing a lot of the legends now as well. I’d love to get Sting on there, or Taker. Taker keeps running away from me. He’s been scared of me his whole career, keeps calling me Stiffy all the time. Triple H, we talked about that. Stephanie McMahon, listen what really works for me if you guys absolutely spam their Twitter handles out of it and tell them you want to see them in Celtic Warrior Workouts, that makes my job so much easier if you guys just go out there, because then it helps me when I go to them and they agree. So spam them guys, spam the hell out of them.
  • Seth Rollins was on NFL Network’s Good Morning Football this morning.
  • The Miz guest hosted The Rich Eisen Show both yesterday and today.
  • The Babyfaces Podcast interviewed Jade Cargill.
  • Logan Paul uploaded a new vlog.

Other Wrestling

WWE NXT viewership down slightly, demo rating ties best number in six months

Posted on by Paul Fontaine

Tuesday night’s WWE NXT episode averaged 728,000 viewers on The CW, down 1.6 percent from last week. It’s the second-lowest audience total for the show since July 22, but this does mark the first time since February that NXT has drawn more than 700,000 viewers in consecutive weeks.

NXT drew a 0.17 rating in the 18-49 demo. That’s up 6.3 percent from last week and ties the best rating the show has done in that category since February 25. In the demo, NXT finished tied for second on all of television in prime time, trailing only America’s Got Talent on NBC.

In terms of sports competition, there was a WNBA game on ESPN that aired head-to-head with NXT, drawing a 0.16 rating in 18-49 and averaging 1.28 million viewers overall.

As compared to the same week in 2024, when the show still aired on USA Network, NXT’s overall viewership was up 18 percent while the 18-49 rating was steady, showing how NXT’s audience continues to skew older on broadcast television 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 six percent in overall viewers and 13.3 percent in 18-49 as compared to the recent averages.

AEW Collision viewership up for August 9 episode

Posted on by Paul Fontaine

Saturday night’s AEW Collision averaged 423,000 viewers on TNT, up 3.4 percent from the previous week’s Thursday night airing and up 29.4 percent from the last Saturday episode two weeks earlier. This marks the best viewership number for the show since June 22.

In the 18-49 demo, Collision drew a 0.08 rating. That’s down 20 percent from last week but is steady with the previous Saturday night airing. It ties the third-lowest rating Collision has done in that category since May 3.

The show went head-to-head with an NFL preseason game, UFC Fight Night on ESPN, and the Savannah Bananas on ESPN2, with Collision finishing 11th on the prime time cable charts for the night.

As compared to the same week in 2024, Collision’s overall viewership was up 14.3 percent while the 18-49 rating was down 27.3 percent (note: this year’s numbers do not include data from the HBO Max simulcast).

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 14 percent in overall viewers but down 20 percent in 18-49 as compared to the recent averages.

WWE SmackDown ratings up for SummerSlam fallout episode

Posted on by Paul Fontaine

Friday night’s SummerSlam fallout episode of WWE SmackDown averaged 1.557 million viewers on USA Network, an increase of 0.8 percent from the previous week. It’s the second-highest audience total SmackDown has drawn since April 25.

The show included appearances by both John Cena and Cody Rhodes. It drew a 0.48 rating in the 18-49 demo, up 4.3 percent from last week and tying the best rating the show has done in that category since the April 25 episode.

SmackDown finished second for the night on all of TV in the demo while facing competition from an NFL preseason game on NFL Network that drew a 0.61 rating.

In terms of total viewers, SmackDown ranked eighth on Friday with the NFL game finishing third, trailing programming on Fox News.

As compared to the same week in 2024, when the show still aired on Fox, SmackDown’s overall viewership was down 31.4 percent while its 18-49 rating was down 25 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 up 7.1 percent in overall viewers and 20 percent in 18-49 as compared to the recent averages.