SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
The AEW All Elite Wrestling Special on TNT drew 390,000 viewers last Friday, which well under half of the prior week’s rating for a movie, which drew 932,000 viewers. AEW drew a 0.14 rating in the key 18-49 demographic, down from the 0.19 key demo rating for the movie on TNT the prior week.
The viewership was in line with “Ridiculousness” on MTV last Friday night, which drew 390,000 also, but a slightly better 18-49 key demo rating of 0.2.
Now, what does this mean? Probably very little. It wasn’t highly publicized and it was on a different night of the week than they’ll typically air and wasn’t a live first-run standard pro wrestling program. It does seem to indicate that the “floor” rating for AEW on TNT out of the gate is significantly higher than 400,000, in case anyone was predicting they’d bomb.
It wouldn’t make any difference to me what the rating was. I can’t stand any WWE programming and quit watching them long ago. I began watching Lucha Underground a mere few months before they were gone. I had watched TNA and had hopes when Callis came in, forgetting his only claim was as an indy promoter in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada, many years ago. With the way they treated Scarlet and now Kross, they can go to hell. AEW is my last hope. If they fail, this wrestling fan since 1967 is done.
Hmm I am surprised to hear your take on Impact. It is night and day better than what it was when Hogan was still hanging around. Lucha Underground is probably done but you caught it at a bad time because the last season was a mess. Seasons two and three are must watch.
I have hope for AEW. But some of the wrestlers need to be eliminated like Orange Pockets Cassidy. If that guy was in WWE people would be trashing him but since he is in AEW people like him. So it seems there is a bit of a double standard.
@ Terrance Kozak Check out New Japan on AXS TV. That’s great wrestling the way it should be done. ROH is still pretty great too if it comes on in your area.
I think most wrestling fans didnt even know it was on. I didnt and i record them all.
I’ll have to choose between NXT on USA or AEW on TNT. I assume I’m leaning towards NXT. I don’t think I have time for a new promotion.
Didn’t know about AEW special because I don’t watch network tv. Oops. Agree with Matthew New Japan is the bomb. Record it everyday on Axs TV. Finally given up on WWE. Just read about it on here. Looking forward to both NXT and AEW. Impact is hit or miss and same with MLW. Ring of honor is good for who they have which unfortunately is not a whole lot of roster anymore.
But…New Japan all the way. Those guys are amazing and Geddo and Jado are brilliant.