WWE And AEW Broadcast Networks Suffer Major Viewership Losses In 2022

There is often nothing wrestling fans love dissecting more than the ratings and viewership numbers, good or bad, for the various wrestling shows out there, be it "AEW Dynamite", "WWE Raw", "WWE SmackDown," or another program. Perhaps the new discussion, however, should be what the respective networks broadcasting these shows would be without them, as new information suggests the forecast could be grim. A Variety article on the winners and losers of TV in 2022 revealed that TBS, TNT, and USA, the homes of "Dynamite", "AEW Rampage", and "Raw" all took a decent dip in average viewers during prime time. After averaging 1.09 and 1.03 million viewers respectively in 2021, TNT and TBS were down to an average of 965K and 875K. USA, meanwhile, slipped from 848K last year to an average of 738K this year.

Those worried that these dips in viewership are a poor reflection on either AEW or WWE can likely relax, however, as the Variety piece noted that most networks have seen a decline in average viewership, with the exception of Paramount Network. The former home of "Raw" and "TNA Impact" — formerly called Spike TV — has bucked the trend largely thanks to the hit series "Yellowstone," though even that success story hasn't stopped the network from losing viewership in the coveted 18-49 demo.

While both "Raw" and "Dynamite" have run their last episodes of 2022, "Rampage" still has one episode left, airing tomorrow night at the usual 10 p.m. timeslot on TNT. As announced on "Dynamite" last night, the show will see Swerve Strickland battle Wheeler Yuta, Jade Cargill defend the AEW TBS Championship against Kiera Hogan, and Orange Cassidy defend the AEW All-Atlantic Championship against his good friend Trent Beretta.