Wrestling TV Ratings: AEW Main Event Does Show Low, RAW Down Big From 2020

The ratings for all the wrestling shows were down last week and were likely impacted by the impeachment trial coverage of Donald Trump, which started last Tuesday. The numbers this week should give a better idea to how much the trial hurt the ratings.

Below is a look at the ratings for all the wrestling shows tracked by Nielsen for the week ending February 12, 2021, along with the most watched news show that aired that night to see how much it might have affected the audience:

WWE SmackDown (2/12): 1.99 million viewers, 0.57 18-49 rating

Change from last week: -11.8% total viewers, -12.31% 18-49 demo
Change from same week last year: -19.2% total viewers, -18.6% 18-49 demo

WWE SmackDown ratings were released today, and the show did under 2 million viewers for the first time on FOX in the Thunderdome. It was the lowest audience for the show on FOX since August 7th, however in the demo, the first two shows this year did worse.  The most watched news show that aired during SmackDown was Rachel Maddow, which scored 3.9 million viewers from 9-10pm.

WWE RAW (2/8): 1.715 million viewers, 0.49 18-49 rating

Change from last week: -9.4% total viewers, -15.5% 18-49 demo
Change from same week last year: -26.6% total viewers, -38.8% 18-49 demo

RAW scored 1.715 million viewers on February 8, 2021. It was the lowest audience for the show during the Royal Rumble – WrestleMania season, and the lowest audience and demo rating for the show so far this year.  The 18-49 demo rating was down a whopping 38.8% from the same week last year. The most watched news show that aired during RAW was Maddow with 3.56 million viewers from 9-10pm.

AEW Dynamite (2/10): 741,000 viewers, 0.29 18-49 rating

Change from last week: -12.2% total viewers, -9.4% 18-49 demo
Change from same week last year: -9.3% total viewers, -3.3% 18-49 demo

AEW Dynamite scored 741,000 viewers on February 10th, down 12.2% from last week. The drop in total viewers was 9.3% from the same week last year, however it was only down 3.3% in 18-49, the smallest drop in the demo for that span for any show this week where that data is available. The most watched news show that aired during AEW and NXT was once again Maddow with 4.45 million viewers from 9-10pm.

The Wrestling Observer Newsletter has quarter hour breakdowns for both AEW Dynamite and WWE NXT. For Dynamite, the opening segment featuring Joey Janela vs. Darby Allin did the best in both total viewers and 18-49. Surprisingly, the much anticipated main event featuring the first ever AEW match with a top contracted NJPW star was the lowest. The beginning of the Kenny Omega & KENTA vs. Jon Moxley & Lance Archer main event match in the seventh quarter was the second lowest of the show in both total viewers and 18-49. The final quarter featuring the finish of the main event was the lowest for the show in both total viewers and 18-49.

Below are the quarter hour breakdowns for AEW Dynamite via The Observer, with the data compiled by 411Mania:

Q1: Joey Janela vs. Darby Allin – 860,000 viewers, 415,000 in 18-49
Q2: Jon Moxley promo/MJF & Sammy Guevara segment/Cody Rhodes & Lee Johnson vs. Peter Avalon & Cezar Bonini – 716,000 viewers (down 144,000), 369,000 in 18-49 (down 46,000)
Q3: End of Rhodes & Johnson vs. Avalon & Bonini/Young Bucks & Good Brothers segment/Adam Page & Matt Hardy segment/PAC vs. Ryan Nemeth – 721,000 viewers (up 5,000), 373,000 in 18-49 (up 4,000)
Q4: Wedding recap & Miro promo/Inner Circle interview/Chris Jericho & MJF vs. The Acclaimed – 780,000 viewers (up 59,000), 405,000 in 18-49 (up 32,000)
Q5: Sammy Guevara quits Inner Circle/Sting & Team Taz angle/Kenny Omega promo – 743,000 viewers (down 37,000), 383,000 in 18-49 (down 22,000)
Q6: Thunder Rosa vs. Leyla Hirsh/Jungle Boy promo – 713,000 viewers (down 30,000), 372,000 in 18-49 (down 11,000)
Q7: Kenny Omega & KENTA vs. Jon Moxley & Lance Archer – 704,000 viewers (down 9,000), 355,000 in 18-49 (down 17,000)
Q8: End of Omega & KENTA vs. Moxley & Archer – 692,000 viewers (down 12,000), 335,000 in 18-49 (down 20,000)

WWE NXT (2/10): 558,000 viewers,  0.12 18-49 rating

Change from last week: -8.5% total viewers, -20% 18-49 demo
Change from same week last year: -26.3% total viewers, -50% 18-49 demo

In terms of the drop in total viewers from last week, NXT suffered the smallest drop of all the major shows. However, from last year, it suffered the biggest drop in the 18-49 demo, as it was down a whopping 50% from the same week last year.

In the quarter hours, the high point of the show was Candice LeRae & Indi Hartwell vs. Ember Moon & Shotzi Blackheart in total viewers, while the seventh quarter featuring promos from Cameron Grimes and Johnny Gargano topped the night for the show in 18-49. The low point in total viewers was the opening segment featuring MSK vs. Legado del Fantasma, while the low in 18-49 were the second and third quarters.

Below is a breakdown of WWE NXT by quarters, compiled by 411Mania:

Q1: MSK vs. Legado del Fantasma – 499,000 viewers, 162,000 in 18-49
Q2: Mercedes Martinez video/Xia Li vs. Kora Jade/Scarlett & William Regal segment – 554,000 viewers (up 55,000), 149,000 in 18-49 (down 13,000)
Q3: Johnny Gargano & The Way promo & segment with KUSHIDA – 586,000 viewers (up 32,000), 149,000 in 18-49 (no change)
Q4: Candice LeRae & Indi Hartwell vs. Ember Moon & Shotzi Blackheart – 591,000 viewers (up 5,000), 151,000 in 18-49 (up 2,000)
Q5: Legado del Fantasma segment/Finn Balor & Pete Dunne videos – 586,000 viewers (down 5,000), 160,000 in 18-49 (up 9,000)
Q6: KUSHIDA vs. Austin Theory/Toni Storm video – 553,000 viewers (down 33,000), 156,000 in 18-49 (down 4,000)
Q7: Imperium video/Cameron Grimes promo/Johnny Gargano promo – 548,000 viewers (down 5,000), 176,000 in 18-49 (up 20,000)
Q8: Grizzled Young Veterans vs. Tommaso Ciampa & Timothy Thatcher – 536,000 viewers (down 12,000), 164,000 in 18-49 (down 12,000)
Overrun: End of Grizzled Young Veterans vs. Ciampa & Thatcher – 577,000 viewers (up 41,000), 172,000 in 18-49 (up 8,000)

AEW Vs. NXT

The combined audience for AEW and NXT was 1.299 million viewers, the fourth lowest since the start of the Wednesday Night Wars. AEW beat NXT by 32.8% in total viewers, and by 142% in 18-49. AEW won every quarter in total viewers, and doubled NXT in the key demo for every quarter.

Impact Wrestling (2/9): 153,000 viewers, 0.04 18-49 rating

Change from last week: -11.6% total viewers, -20% 18-49 demo
Change from same week last year: -13% total viewers

Impact Wrestling was in the middle of what it has been doing this year, although it was down in both total viewers and 18-49 from last week. The most watched news show that aired during Impact was Maddow, which scored 4.3 million viewers from 9-10pm.