AEW Ratings Soar to a Record High and Raise Questions About Ratings Battles

[Kemo]

The first Wednesday night without the competition of NXT saw AEW ratings soared to an incredible rating high of 1.2 million. They also scored a 0.44 rating in the key 18-49 demographic. This was the highest viewing figures to date for AEW and a jump of around 43% from the previous week.

AEW ranked #2 on cable in P18-49 with a rating of 0.44, the program's highest since December 9, 2020.

— Brandon Thurston (@BrandonThurston) April 15, 2021

Likewise, however, NXT saw a growth in numbers following their move to Tuesday nights. Figures were 4.82% up on the recent Take Over: Stand and Deliver. Granted they only had a 0.22 rating and were almost 400,000 viewers behind AEW with 805,000 viewers.

However, the fact that both companies saw a number increase gives some food for thought. Many people will call AEW the winners for the recent Wednesday Night War, but what if both sides were actually losers?

With both companies drawing increased viewers, you have to argue that fans who previously had to choose one or the other indulged their passion this week and watched both shows without problem. When taking this approach to things, does competition for a timeslot really benefit anybody or does it work to hold back both shows from really reaching their full potential.

Wrestling fans are quite quick to call their preferred show the best by watching it live, when really, each company, and even each brand within a company is different. They are run with differing styles and mentalities and they are all ok. Some may be more appealing to certain fans but that also works both ways.

Whether you are an AEW fan, a WWE: NXT fan or just a supporter of professional wrestling, increased numbers are always a good thing. What many initially saw as an act of retreat by WWE could turn out to be a strategic win for both promotions.

[TKO]

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