SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
Tuesday night, AEW Dynamite on TBS was moved to a night earlier timeslot and aired live head-to-head with NXT on USA Network. PWTorch has obtained the minute-by-minute viewership data (ages 2+) according to Nielson Media Research data provided to a TV industry source. The following are detailed notes on the ebb and flow of the viewership.
[HOUR ONE]
Big Bang Theory before AEW Dynamite had a lead-in audience of 1.07 million viewers while NXT’s lead-in, “Law & Order SVU” drew 370,000, giving AEW a fleeting big advantage in viewership. AEW opened with 1.209 million compared to NXT’s 840,000.
That lead was gone by the two minute mark with Dynamite at 829K and 715K and 700K in minutes, 3, 4, and 5.
Meanwhile, NXT grew from 918K to 952K and 967K in those minutes.
During that time, AEW had Christian speaking from a production truck and then the ring entrance for Bryan Danielson vs. Swerve Strickland while NXT showed Cody Rhodes’s ring entrance.
When AEW’s Danielson vs. Strickland match ended, they had dropped to 684K with a range of 717K early in the match to a low of 595K in the 11th minute of the hour.
Meanwhile, during Cody’s promo, viewership steadily grew from the 840K first minute to 967K by the fifth minute and then stayed above a million viewers from minutes 5 through 14 when the segment ended, with a high of 1.061 at the end of the Cody interview segment with Ilia Dragonov, Rhea Ripley and Dominik Mysterio.
From there, NXT aired the Asuka vs. Roxanne Perez match that drew between 928K and 995K during its span ending 24 minutes into the hour. As Paul Heyman was shown getting out of an SUV, the audience grew to 1.037 and 1.019 million.
AEW, during the time Heyman got out of his SUV, drew 614K and 623K for Chris Jericho’s ring entrance. The match with Powerhouse Hobbs vs. Jericho drew between 630K and 722K, ending at 709K.
After that, at the 35 minute mark, the two minute skit aired with Adam Cole at Roderick Strong’s house. That drew 721K for both minutes.
NXT, meanwhile, dropped to as low as 804K during their first split-screen break at 30 minutes and rebounded to 872K and 898K during the tag match between The Brawling Brutes and Gallus opposite of that Cole/Strong skit.
NXT dropped as low as 721K during the first full screen commercial break. When John Cena came out 47 minutes into the hour, viewership started rising from 926K to as high as 1.027K 53 minutes into the hour. Then during the full commercial, viewership dripped to 768K to close out the first hour.
AEW during that time, drew in the 500s and 600s with a low of 486K during the full screen portion of the commercial break after the Toni Storm silent movie part of the split-screen portion of the break. The peak rating was 691K during the last 20 minutes of the second hour. That was as Orange Cassidy was celebrating his title win and when Toni Storm was introducing her silent movie.
[HOUR TWO]
Hour two of AEW opened with 554K for the “Hangman” Page vs. Jay White match while NXT opened with 928K for a Baron Corbin backstage promo. As NXT rolled into L.A. Knight’s ring entrance, viewership grew to 980K, 983K, and 978K.
On AEW during those same minutes, viewership grew to 578K, 568K, and 604K. It’s the last time AEW would reach 600K viewers until drawing 601K 17 minutes in. The first 30 minutes of AEW, the peak rating was 637K 22 minutes in at the end of the MJF exchange with Bullet Club Gold (which included the antisemitic heel tactic by Juice Robinson at the end).
NXT, meanwhile, grew to peak viewership over 1 million 11 minutes into the hour during the Dragonov vs. Dominik match. It dropped to 820K during a commercial, then rebounded to four straight minutes over 1 million until the conclusion of the match.
The minute with Cody appearing with Corbin backstage drew from 889K to 914K and then the segment with Dominik and Rhea chatting with Nathan Frazer drew 924K and 920K 29 minutes into the hour.
AEW closed out that half hour with a low of 410K at a full screen commercial break right before the Saraya vs. Hikaru Shida match. That match peaked at 714K for the conclusion 40 minutes into the hour, but mostly drew in the 500s and in the 400s during commercial breaks.
During the closing minutes of the AEW women’s match, NXT aired a Chase U segment that kept NXT above 900K. Viewership dropped as low as 754K during a commercial break 41 minutes into the second hour.
From there, NXT drew in the 900s starting 44 minutes into the hour, dipped into the 700s during split-screen breaks, and closed the final six minutes of the hour in the 800s, increasing from 801K 55 minutes into the hour to 873K 59 minutes into the hour.
AEW, meanwhile, drew in the 400s during commercial breaks and in the 500s for regular content until Christian came out. Viewership grew to 625,000 52 minutes into the hour then dropped to 607K and 606K before rebounding to 628K for Adam Copeland charging to the ring. Then it dipped under 600K for the rest of the hour.
[OVERRUN]
The overrun dipped into the high-400s during the commercial break at 2 and 3 minutes into the overrun before rebounding to 540K and growing to 604K 8 minutes in and then 711K after NXT went off the air. The final few unopposed minutes drew 730K, 724K, 704K, and 732K.
NXT’s overrun started at 873K and grew to 900K, 980K, 970K, 998K, 1.017K, and 1.000K to close out the 7 minute overrun featuring Undertaker’s hinted-at special appearance.
RECOMMENDED NEXT: NXT on USA crushes AEW Dynamite in total viewership in rare head-to-head battle with loaded line-ups by both companies
OR CHECK OUT THIS AT PROWRESTLING.NET: Powell’s Blog: It didn’t have to be this way (on Tony Khan’s public comments about WWE/NXT)
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