Tag: nxt ratings

CW addresses ‘inexplicable’ drop in WWE NXT ratings under new Nielsen system

Posted on by Josh Nason

Count The CW among those frustrated about the new way that Nielsen is measuring TV ratings, especially when it comes to WWE NXT.

The outlet released a statement to Wrestlenomics that was in a feature piece Thursday regarding the new “Big Panel + Data” approach Nielsen rolled out in September. That new method has seen WWE NXT ratings dip noticeably in addition to other pro wrestling shows that air on traditional cable TV.

In the statement, a spokesperson said they have expressed to Nielsen “our deep frustration with the way it handled the process, communication, and methodology behind its Big Data rollout.”

Wrestlenomics noted that according to sources, NXT has measured 9% lower in total viewership on average under the new method with demo dips of 27% in 18-49 and 29% in 25-54.

From The CW statement:

“The sudden and substantial discrepancy in WWE NXT viewership reported by Big Data, relative to long-established viewing patterns, is inexplicable and lacks credibility. Further, a comparison with data from all other measurement products (including others from Nielsen itself) exposes a fundamentally flawed methodology in Big Data. We are disappointed by Nielsen’s lack of cooperation, transparency, and accountability with its network partners as we work to resolve this issue.”

As noted on this site and elsewhere, weekly viewership numbers for WWE SmackDown (USA on Fridays) and both AEW Dynamite (TBS on Wednesdays) and AEW Collision (TNT on Saturdays) have also seen significant dips with the new method while other sports programming has not, leaving analysts confused as to why. The changes have not affected major sports like the NFL and Major League Baseball which saw huge spikes during this year’s playoffs.

From Wrestlenomics’ viewership data, SmackDown has been down 14% under the new way with Dynamite down 9% and Collision down 6% in total viewers. Both Dynamite and SmackDown have also experienced double digit demo drops while Collision’s are in the 2-7% range.

From our Dave Meltzer on the new methodology:

“Nielsen now combines data from its traditional panel homes with information from internet-connected smart TVs, set-top boxes, and other devices. The updated methodology also accounts for viewing in public settings like bars and restaurants, which was a significant factor that was previously difficult to measure. Formerly, most of the data came from 40,000 to 45,000 Nielsen homes. Now there is data coming from more than 45 million homes and 75 million devices and will provide far more data.”

WWE NXT viewership up, 18-49 demo rating down

Posted on by Paul Fontaine

Tuesday night’s WWE NXT episode averaged 554,000 viewers on The CW, an increase of 4.9 percent from last week. It’s the best audience total for the show since October 14.

In the 18-49 demo, NXT drew a 0.07 rating. That’s down 12.5 percent from last week and ties the lowest rating NXT has ever done in that category. NXT finished last on network television with less than half of what the next-lowest show did in the key demo, though The CW is generally a lower-rated station than the other major networks.

The show went head-to-head, as it will all season, with the NBA on NBC, which was second on network TV to ABC’s Dancing with the Stars. The NBA broadcast drew a 0.42 rating in 18-49 and averaged 2.237 million viewers overall.

As compared to the same week in 2024 (under the previous Nielsen panel-only reporting method), NXT’s overall viewership was down 12.2 percent while the 18-49 rating was down 56.3 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 episode was down 10.9 percent in viewers and 41.8 percent in 18-49 as compared to the recent averages.

Note: Starting on October 1, Nielsen began using the new Big Data + Panel measurement system. The change has resulted in severe declines for most wrestling shows, particularly in the 18-49 demo.

WWE NXT ratings up slightly this week

Posted on by Paul Fontaine

Tuesday night’s WWE NXT episode averaged 528,000 viewers on The CW, a slight increase from the almost identical number (527,000) the show did last week. This marks the best audience total for the show since October 14.

In the 18-49 demo, NXT drew a 0.08 rating. That’s up 14.3 percent from last week and is also the highest rating the show has recorded in that category since the October 14 episode.

The show went head-to-head with an NBA game on NBC, as well as cable news coverage of the 2025 U.S. elections which dominated the cable charts for the night.

As compared to the same week in 2024, when Nielsen was still using its panel-only ratings measurement system, NXT’s overall viewership was down 14.7 percent while the 18-49 rating was down 52.9 percent.

Listed below are the last 11 weeks of viewership numbers and 18-49 demo ratings for NXT, along with the 10-week average in both categories. This week’s episode was down 16 percent in overall viewers and 33.3 percent in 18-49 as compared to the recent averages.

Note: Beginning on October 1, Nielsen switched to its new Big Data + Panel measurement system that has resulted in severe declines for most wrestling television shows, particularly in the 18-49 demo.

WWE NXT ratings steady against World Series game four

Posted on by Paul Fontaine

Tuesday night’s WWE NXT episode averaged 527,000 viewers on The CW, almost identical to the 525,000 viewers the show did last week. It’s the second-lowest audience NXT has done since Nielsen switched to its new Big Data + Panel ratings measurement system.

NXT drew a 0.07 rating in the 18-49 demo, the same number as the show did last week. It ties the lowest rating NXT has ever done in that category.

The episode went head-to-head with game four of the World Series between the Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers, which topped all of television with 14.87 million viewers across several Fox platforms and a 3.05 rating in 18-49 on the main Fox network. It was the second-highest viewed World Series game four in the last nine years.

As compared to the same week in 2024, under the old panel-only system, NXT’s overall viewership was down 10.4 percent while the 18-49 rating was down 50 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 episode was down 18.4 percent in viewers and 46.2 percent in 18-49 as compared to the recent averages.

Note: Nielsen began its new measurement system in October, which has generally resulted in much lower ratings for wrestling TV shows.

WWE NXT draws record low ratings for CW episode

Posted on by Paul Fontaine

Tuesday night’s WWE NXT — the go-home show for Halloween Havoc — averaged 525,000 viewers on The CW, down 23.9 percent from last week. It’s the lowest viewership the show has ever done on that network and the lowest overall for NXT since July 30, 2024.

In the 18-49 demo, NXT drew a 0.07 rating. That’s down 41.7 percent from last week and is also the lowest rating the show has done on The CW. Overall, it ties the lowest rating NXT has ever done on any station, matching the number it did on February 8, 2022 when the show aired on SyFy due to USA Network broadcasting the Winter Olympics.

It should be noted that these record lows come under Nielsen’s new “Big Data + Panel” measurement system, which was introduced at the start of October and has generally meant a steep decline from what wrestling shows had been doing previously.

NXT went head-to-head with opening night of the NBA season, which did the best numbers that league has drawn for its opener in the last 15 years. The first NBA game on new broadcast partner NBC averaged 5.096 million viewers and drew a 1.39 rating in the 18-49 demo.

As compared to the same week in 2024, which was with the old Nielsen panel-only system, NXT’s overall viewership was down 25.2 percent while the 18-49 rating was down 56.3 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 episode was down 21.2 percent in overall viewers and 50 percent in 18-49 as compared to the recent averages.

WWE NXT draws best viewership since Nielsen change

Posted on by Paul Fontaine

Tuesday night’s WWE NXT episode averaged 690,000 viewers on The CW, up 10.4 percent from last week’s NXT vs. TNA Showdown special. It’s the best audience total reported for the show since Nielsen’s new Big Data + Panel measurement system went into effect.

In the 18-49 demo, NXT drew a 0.12 rating. That’s identical to last week and ties the second-lowest rating the show has done in that category so far this year. The top program for the night was “Dancing with the Stars” on ABC, with NXT also going head-to-head with game two of MLB’s National League Championship Series. That Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Milwaukee Brewers game averaged 5.04 million viewers on TBS and drew a 1.16 rating.

Compared to this week in 2024, NXT’s overall viewership was up eight percent while the 18-49 rating was down 33.3 percent. The new system has greatly reduced the 18-49 rating for most wrestling shows.

Listed below are the last 11 weeks of viewership numbers and 18-49 demo ratings for NXT. Prior to the September 30 show, numbers were still measured by the old panel-only system. This week’s show was up 2.8 percent in viewers but down 14.3 percent in 18-49 as compared to the recent averages.

NXT vs. TNA Showdown beats AEW Dynamite in ratings battle

Posted on by Paul Fontaine

WWE NXT scored a ratings victory over AEW Dynamite with the shows going head-to-head on Tuesday night.

The NXT vs. TNA Showdown special averaged 625,000 viewers on USA Network, an increase of 9.3 percent from last week. With Nielsen changing its ratings methodology, this is still the second-lowest reported audience total for NXT since July 15.

AEW Dynamite Title Tuesday, airing on TBS outside of the show’s normal night, averaged 321,000 viewers. That’s down 31 percent from last week and is the lowest reported audience in the history of the show.

In the 18-49 demo, the NXT episode drew a 0.12 rating. That’s up 20 percent from last week but ties the second-lowest number the show has done in that category so far in 2025.

Dynamite drew a 0.07 rating in the demo, which is a decrease of 22.2 percent from last week and is a record low number for the show.

It should be noted that starting two weeks ago — when Nielsen began using its “Big Panel + Data” measurement system to determine ratings — there have been nearly universal severe declines for both WWE and AEW wrestling programming.

As compared to the same week in 2024, NXT’s average viewership was down 28.5 percent while the 18-49 rating was down 50 percent. AEW’s viewership was down 2.4 percent while the 18-49 rating was down 30 percent. Both shows aired head-to-head during this week last year as well.

Here’s a look at the last 11 weeks of ratings data for both programs:

WWE NXT ratings down, new reporting method introduced

Posted on by Paul Fontaine

The introduction of a new way of measuring TV ratings has led to some confusion over wrestling numbers.

Nielsen is using a new ratings method called “Big Data + Panel,” which — to this point — has mostly resulted in lower ratings for wrestling televisions shows than had been reported under the previous panel-only method of measurement.

Using the new method, Tuesday night’s WWE NXT episode averaged 572,000 viewers on The CW, down 19.1 percent from last week under the old way. This would be the lowest audience total for the show since August 6, 2024.

NXT drew a 0.10 rating in the 18-49 demo. That’s down 41.2 percent from last week and ties the second-lowest reported rating the show has ever done in that category.

Under the old method, Tuesday’s show would have drawn a 0.16 rating in the demo. That’s still slightly down from last week but is a much smaller decrease than represented with the new method.

The show went against a big New York Yankees vs. Boston Red Sox MLB playoff game on Tuesday night.

Year-over-year comparisons — and even comparisons to the 10-week average — will not be as relevant with the new reporting system, though the latter will return once there is a couple months of appropriate data to compare.

Updated WWE NXT ratings for No Mercy go-home show

Posted on by Paul Fontaine

Update —

There has been a correction to Tuesday’s WWE NXT ratings. The show actually averaged 707,000 viewers overall and drew a 0.17 rating in the 18-49 demo.

The viewership is down four percent from the previous week’s Homecoming special, but the 18-49 demo rating remained steady.

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Tuesday night’s WWE NXT episode averaged 617,000 viewers on The CW, down 16.3 percent from last week’s Homecoming special. This marks the lowest audience total for the show since August 26.

In the 18-49 demo, NXT drew a 0.12 rating. That’s down 29.4 percent from last week and ties the lowest rating the show has done in that category in 2025. NXT tied for last place on network television with most of those stations airing new programming for the first time this fall season.

The show also went head-to-head with a WNBA playoff game on cable that averaged 1.464 million viewers on ESPN and drew a 0.27 rating in the 18-49 demo. An MLB game on TBS also aired head-to-head with a 0.15 demo rating and 454,000 viewers.

As compared to the same week in 2024, which was the final week the show aired on USA Network, NXT’s overall viewership was down 0.5 percent while the 18-49 rating was down 36.8 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 episode was down 9.4 percent in viewers and 20 percent in 18-49 as compared to the recent averages.

WWE NXT ratings up for Homecoming special

Posted on by Paul Fontaine

Tuesday night’s Homecoming episode of WWE NXT averaged 737,000 viewers on The CW, up 12.7 percent from last week. It’s the largest audience total for the show since August 5.

The Homecoming special took place from NXT’s original home of Full Sail University and included appearances by past NXT stars, along with Paul “Triple H” Levesque, Shawn Michaels, and William Regal. The show drew a 0.17 rating in the 18-49 demo, a number that is up 21.4 percent from last week and ties the highest rating NXT has done in that category since February 11.

The show finished 10th on all of television in the key demo and ranked sixth among network programming in prime time. The major competition was the Dancing with the Stars season premiere on ABC, which did the best ratings for that program since 2020 and topped TV with a 1.06 rating in 18-49 rating and 5.38 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 8.9 percent while the 18-49 rating was down 19.1 percent, so the audience on network TV continues to skew much older 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 episode was up 8.8 percent in viewers and 13.3 percent in 18-49 as compared to the recent averages.

WWE NXT ratings for September 9 episode

Posted on by Paul Fontaine

Tuesday night’s WWE NXT episode averaged 654,000 viewers on The CW, down 0.2 percent from last week. It’s the second-lowest audience total for the show since July 15.

NXT drew a 0.14 rating in the 18-49 demo. That’s identical to last week and ties the second-lowest rating the show has done since the July 15 episode.

The show finished ninth out of 10 network TV programs airing in prime time in the key demo, beating only a repeat episode of CBS’ NCIS Origins. The only significant sports competition was a WNBA game on ESPN that aired head-to-head and averaged 1.034 million viewers and drew a 0.14 rating in 18-49.

As compared to the same week in 2024, when the show still aired on USA Network, NXT’s overall viewership was up 4.1 percent while the 18-49 rating was down 26.3 percent, so the audience continues to skew much older on network TV than broadcast.

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 three percent in viewers and 6.7 percent in 18-49 as compared to the recent averages.

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.

WWE NXT ratings decline for Heatwave fallout episode

Posted on by Paul Fontaine

Tuesday’s WWE NXT on The CW averaged 616,000 viewers, down nearly nine percent from the previous week.

It was both the lowest audience for the show since July 15th and the second-lowest so far in 2025.

NXT averaged a 0.12 rating in the 18-49 demo, down 20% from last week and tying the lowest rating the show has done in that category since February 7, 2023. It only beat one other show on network television (a repeat of Will Trent on ABC) after finishing in the top ten for the last several weeks.

The show went head-to-head with an ABC special on Bruce Willis as well as ESPN coverage of the US Open tennis tournament which took two of the top four spots on the 18-49 ratings chart.

As compared to the same week in 2024, when the show still aired on USA, the overall viewership was up 0.2% while the 18-49 rating was down 29.4% as the audience continues to skew older on network television as opposed to cable.

Listed below are the last 11 weeks of overall viewership and 18-49 demo ratings as well as the 10-week average in both categories. This week’s show was down 10.2% while the 18-49 rating was down 25% as compared to 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.

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.