Tag: WWE 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 SmackDown ratings up, best viewership in four weeks

Posted on by Paul Fontaine

Friday night’s WWE SmackDown episode averaged 1.158 million viewers on USA Network, up 1.5 percent from the previous week. It’s the best audience total for the show since October 17.

SmackDown drew a 0.27 rating in the 18-49 demo. That’s up 3.8 percent from the November 7 episode and is the highest rating the show has done in that category since October 24. SmackDown finished second on cable and fifth overall on TV in the key demo for the night.

There was head-to-head competition from college football games on Fox and ESPN, with those games and the pre-show for the Fox game taking the top three spots on the charts. CBS’ Sheriff Country was the only other program to beat SmackDown.

As compared to the same week in 2024, using Nielsen’s old panel-only reporting method, SmackDown’s overall viewership was down 6.2 percent while its 18-49 rating was down 15.6 percent. That episode in 2024 had lower-than-usual numbers due to taking place on the same night as Netflix’s Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul boxing special.

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 three percent in viewers and 12.9 percent in 18-49 as compared to the recent averages.

Note: Beginning on October 1, Nielsen started using the Big Data + Panel reporting method which has resulted in severe ratings declines for most wrestling shows.

WWE Raw from November 10 gets notable viewership lift

Posted on by Josh Nason

The kickoff to the ‘The Last Time is Now’ tournament on last Monday’s WWE Raw from Boston helped the show get a notable viewership lift.

Revealed by Netflix in their weekly update, the November 10 episode brought in 2.8 million global viewers and 5.1 million global hours viewed.

The global viewers mark was up 400,000 from the previous week and the show’s highest mark since the August 18 show. The global hours viewed was actually down slightly from the previous week due to a shorter run time.

Cena was advertised to be on the show in his last TD Garden appearance which also included the kickoff to the tournament to determine his final opponent in December.

Raw Viewership Details:

  • The episode increased to seventh globally and jumped up to third in the United States, finishing in the top 10 in 14 countries.
  • The listed 1:44 run time was considerably down from the previous week’s 2:06 run time.
  • The average for the last ten weeks increased slightly to 2.47 million global views while the 4.88 million global hours were virtually identical.

Last 10 weeks of WWE Raw on Netflix ratings/viewership:

Episode dateGlobal ViewsGlobal Hours
November 10, 20252.8 million5.1 million
November 3, 20252.4 million5.2 million
October 27, 20252.3 million4.6 million
October 20, 20252.6 million5.1 million
October 13, 20252.4 million4.6 million
October 3, 20252.4 million4.8 million
September 29, 20252.3 million4.5 million
September 22, 20252.3 million4.5 million
September 15, 20252.6 million5.3 million
September 8, 20252.6 million5.1 million
Average for last 10 weeks:2.47 million4.88 million

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 SmackDown ratings rebound from Halloween low

Posted on by Paul Fontaine

Friday night’s WWE SmackDown averaged 1.141 million viewers, up 22.3 percent from the previous week’s Halloween episode. This is the third-highest audience total the show has done since Nielsen started using its new ratings measurement system.

In the 18-49 demo, SmackDown drew a 0.26 rating. That’s up 30 percent from the October 31 episode and is also the third-best rating the show has done in that category under the new system. SmackDown finished second on cable and third on all of television in the key demo, trailing college football on Fox and college basketball on ESPN.

As compared to the same week in 2024, under Nielsen’s old panel-only reporting method, SmackDown’s overall viewership was down 25.7 percent while the 18-49 rating was down 44.7 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 4.5 percent in viewers and 16.1 percent in 18-49 as compared to the recent averages.

Note: Beginning on October 1, Nielsen started using the new Big Data + Panel measurement system. The change has resulted in a severe decline for most pro wrestling shows.

WWE Raw November 3 viewership improves slightly

Posted on by Josh Nason

Image: WWE

The November 3 edition of WWE Raw on Netflix did 2.4 million global views, up slightly from their record low the previous week’s show garnered.

Revealed by Netflix on Tuesday in their weekly rankings, the show was up 100,000 from their record low of 2.3 million. The global hours views increased to 5.2 million, up from the previous week’s 4.6 million, but that was due to the episode’s 13 minute runtime increase.

The show was the fallout edition from Saturday Night’s Main Event where CM Punk won the vacant WWE World Heavyweight title in a match with Jey Uso. On Raw, Punk was confronted by Logan Paul in one angle while Rey Mysterio made his return in another to confront his son, Dominik.

The episode was up against the Dallas Cowboys vs. Arizona Cardinals Monday Night Football game domestically in addition to the usual NBA and NHL slate that were on regional networks.

Raw Viewership Details:

  • The episode dropped to ninth globally and sixth in the United States, finishing in the top 10 in nine countries.
  • The listed 2:06 run time was up 13 minutes from the previous week’s 1:53.
  • The average for the last ten weeks decreased slightly to 2.43 million global views while the 4.89 million global hours viewed were up slightly.

Last 10 weeks of WWE Raw on Netflix ratings/viewership:

Episode dateGlobal ViewsGlobal Hours
November 3, 20252.4 million5.2 million
October 27, 20252.3 million4.6 million
October 20, 20252.6 million5.1 million
October 13, 20252.4 million4.6 million
October 3, 20252.4 million4.8 million
September 29, 20252.3 million4.5 million
September 22, 20252.3 million4.5 million
September 15, 20252.6 million5.3 million
September 8, 20252.6 million5.1 million
September 1, 20252.4 million5.2 million
Average for last 10 weeks:2.43 million4.89 million

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 SmackDown demo rating up despite World Series competition

Posted on by Paul Fontaine

Friday night’s WWE SmackDown episode averaged 1.147 million viewers on USA Network, a drop of three percent from the previous week. Despite that, this is the second-largest audience total the show has done under Nielsen’s new Big Data + Panel measurement system.

SmackDown topped the cable charts, and finished third overall on television, with a 0.29 rating in the 18-49 demo. That’s up 3.6 percent from last week and is the best rating the show has done in that category since September 26, which was under the previous system.

The show went head-to-head with game one of MLB’s World Series, which drew the second-highest ratings of the last seven years for a World Series opening game. Fox averaged 12.5 million viewers for the broadcast and did a 2.53 rating in 18-49 airing head-to-head with Smackdown. The baseball pre-game show finished second on the charts with 7.244 million viewers and a 1.30 rating.

As compared to the same week in 2024, under the old ratings measurement system, SmackDown’s overall viewership was down 19.1 percent while the 18-49 rating was down 32.6 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 8.6 percent in viewers and 12.1 percent in 18-49 as compared to the recent averages.

Note: numbers before October 1 are using the previous method of calculating ratings.

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 SmackDown ratings up for Crown Jewel fallout episode

Posted on by Paul Fontaine

Last Friday’s WWE SmackDown episode averaged 1.180 million viewers on USA Network, up 15 percent from the previous week. It’s the best audience total the show has done since Nielsen switched to its new “Big Data + Panel” ratings system at the beginning of October.

SmackDown drew a 0.28 rating in the 18-49 demo. That’s up 27 percent from the October 10 episode and also marks the highest number for SmackDown since Nielsen made its switch to the new system.

On a night with heavy sports competition — including two MLB Championship Series games, as well as college football on both Fox and ESPN — SmackDown finished ninth on television in the key demo.

As compared to the same week in 2024, using the old measurement system, SmackDown’s overall viewership was down 14.2 percent while the 18-49 rating was down 33.3 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 8.5 percent in overall viewers and 20 percent in 18-49 as compared to the recent averages.

Note: Prior to October, ratings were calculated under the old panel-only method. Since the switch, wrestling ratings have generally been lower than they were previously.

WWE Raw Crown Jewel fallout episode viewership revealed

Posted on by Josh Nason

Image: WWE

Viewership for the October 13 episode of WWE Raw on Netflix — the Crown Jewel follow-up — was identical with the previous week at 2.4 million global viewers.

The global hours viewed finished at 4.6 million, down from the previous week’s 4.8 million. The data comes from Netflix’s Tudum report.

The show had an 8 AM Eastern start time as it took place from Perth, Australia, as part of WWE’s weekend in the city.

Raw Viewership Details:

  • The episode ranked eighth globally and sixth in the United States. It finished in the top ten in 13 countries worldwide which included Mexico, Canada, United Kingdom, India and Australia.
  • The listed 1:52 run time was down five minutes from last week’s 1:57.
  • The average for the last ten weeks decreased to 2.52 million global views and 4.97 million global hours viewed.

Raw Show Details:

  • The show featured both Seth Rollins and Stephanie Vaquer following their Crown Jewel Championship wins and a surprising angle where Rollins was turned on by his Vision teammates Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed.
  • The show featured WWE Intercontinental Champion Dominik Mysterio defending his title, a singles match with Rhea Ripley, and a three-way no. 1 contender’s match featuring CM Punk vs. LA Knight vs. Jey Uso.

Last 10 weeks of WWE Raw on Netflix ratings/viewership:

Episode dateGlobal ViewsGlobal Hours
October 13, 20252.4 million4.6 million
October 3, 20252.4 million4.8 million
September 29, 20252.3 million4.5 million
September 22, 20252.3 million4.5 million
September 15, 20252.6 million5.3 million
September 8, 20252.6 million5.1 million
September 1, 20252.4 million5.2 million
August 25, 20252.6 million5.0 million
August 18, 20252.8 million5.4 million
August 11, 20252.8 million5.3 million
Average for last 10 weeks:2.52 million4.97 million

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.

WWE SmackDown ratings down against big MLB playoff number

Posted on by Paul Fontaine

Friday night’s WWE SmackDown averaged 1.025 million viewers on USA Network, down 0.5 percent from the previous week. That sets a new record low for a SmackDown episode airing on USA Network and is the lowest overall number for the show since a November 2023 edition on FS1.

The episode took place in Australia and aired live on Netflix overseas before being shown on tape delay for the USA Network airing. In the 18-49 demo, the broadcast drew a 0.22 rating. That’s down 4.3 percent from last week and is also a record low for SmackDown on USA Network. It’s SmackDown’s lowest overall rating in that category since a Best Of special on New Year’s Eve 2021 that did a 0.08.

SmackDown finished fifth on television in the key demo. It went head-to-head with a Seattle Mariners vs. Detroit Tigers game on Fox that averaged 8.049 million viewers and drew a 1.74 rating in 18-49, making it the most-watched MLB Divisional series playoff game in 14 years. There was also competition from a WNBA Finals game on ESPN and college football on ESPN2.

As compared to the same week in 2024, when the ratings were still measured under Nielsen’s old panel-only system, SmackDown’s overall viewership was down 38 percent while the 18-49 rating was down 55.1 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. Prior to October 3, the ratings were reported under the old system with Nielsen’s new Big Data + Panel method replacing it that week. Since then, wrestling numbers have taken a big hit across the board compared to what they were previously doing.