AEW Dynamite viewership drops under 800,000 for first time this year, but demos hold up well against NBA and NHL playoffs

AEW Dynamite last night drew a year-low average viewership of 776,000 viewers, down sharply from 863,000 last week. The average viewership the prior 17 weeks this year was 895,000.

In the key 18-49 demographic, they held steady at 0.28, the same as the prior week. The prior 17 weeks averaged 0.26. The male 18-49 demo drew a 0.42, up from last week’s 0.40. The younger 18-35 male demo was 0.30, up from 0.27 last week.

This all points toward AEW losing some of the 50+ viewers to the NBA and NHL playoffs. One NBA game and two NHL games outdrew Dynamite in total viewers and in the key demo. The NBA game drew 4.512 million views total and a 1.56 demo rating, finishing no. 1 on cable that night. The NHL games drew roughly 1.3 million viewers each and demo ratings of 0.50 and 0.45.

Dynamite dropped to no. 8 among all cable shows in the 18-49 demographic, according to Showbuzz Daily.

Dynamite hasn’t drawn fewer than 800,000 viewers since the Oct. 18 episode last fall, which drew an average of 752,000 viewers. The only other time in the last two years that Dynamite drew under 800,000 viewers on a Wednesday night was on June 15 last year (761,000).

This week’s Dynamite headlined with MJF & Sammy Guevara vs. Darby Allin & “Jungle Boy” Jack Perry.

Author Notes: PWTorch editor Wade Keller has covered pro wrestling since 1987. He has been a guest on the Steve Austin Show as an analyst of current events and pro wrestling history 40 times, making more appearances than any other guest. He currently hosts the “Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Podcast” and “Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Post-show” along with several PWTorch VIP-exclusive podcasts every week. He was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame for “Excellence in Writing on Professional Wrestling” in 2015. He hosted “The Ultimate Insiders” DVD series in the 2000s including long-from studio interviews in Los Angeles, Calif. with Matt & Jeff Hardy and Vince Russo & Ed Ferrara. He has interviewed more big name wrestlers and promoters in long-form insider interviews over the last 35 years for the Pro Wrestling Torch Newsletter, usually in the “Torch Talk” transcribed Q&A format, than any pro wrestling reporter. The list of those he has interviewed include Steve Austin, The Rock, Vince McMahon, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, Hulk Hogan, Goldberg, Eric Bischoff, Verne Gagne, Lou Thesz, Jesse Ventura, Drew McIntyre, Brian Gewirtz, Paul Heyman, Mick Foley, Jim Ross, Tony Schiavone, Jon Moxley, and dozens of other top stars and influential promoters and bookers/creative team members.