Controversial Toni Storm 'Debut' Appears To Have Strong Impact On AEW Rampage Ratings

The Winter is Coming edition of "AEW Dynamite" on December 11 ended with the surprise return of Toni Storm, who crashed Mariah May's big moment in the sun after she had retained her AEW Women's World Championship against Mina Shirakawa. 

However, instead of waiting until the next "Dynamite" to see Storm again, she was in action two nights later on the Winter is Coming edition of "AEW Rampage," for her first match since All In London on August 25. This decision had reportedly left people backstage in AEW "appalled" at the fact that one of the company's biggest stars was having their return match on a show that is set to be discontinued at the end of 2024.

With that said, people did want to see Storm wrestle Harley Cameron as "Wrestlenomics" has confirmed with a Nielsen source that the December 13 episode of "Rampage" averaged a total of 279,000 viewers. This is not only a massive 58 percent increase from the previous week's show, which was loaded with Continental Classic league matches, but is also the highest average viewership the show has earned since September 20. The show was also 37 percent above the trailing four-week average of 204,000 viewers.

There was a huge rise in the key 18-49 demographic as the show earned a 0.08 number, which is an exact 100 percent increase on the previous week's 0.04, the highest number in the demographic since November 22, and 33 perecent above the trailing four-week number of 0.06. AEW will be hoping to finish 2024 on a high with "Rampage," which has only two shows remaining before it finishes at the end of the year — the Holiday Bash special on December 20, and the New Year's Smash special on December 27.