Detailed Week 8 Ratings Breakdown For AEW Dynamite vs. NXT

As we previously reported, NXT surpassed AEW Dynamite for the first time on overall viewership this week, drawing 916,000 viewers compared to Dynamite’s 893,000. However, Dynamite was still ahead in the key 18-49 demographic rating, with a 0.39 compared to NXT’s 0.30. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter has a more detailed breakdown of the numbers, which saw both shows competing against the NBA and the Democratic debates. NBA suffered the worst loss of that, actually, losing 60% of viewers compared to last week.

Dynamite also once again won with every demographic under 50 and won every quarter in those measures. However, even though they won the 12-34 demos, their numbers dropped significantly. NXT still managed to gain enough younger viewers, however to drop their median age to 49.9 years old (it was 52.2 last week), compared to Dynamite’s median age of 44.9 (up from last week’s 42). 52% of NXT’s viewers were over the age of 50, compared to 34% for AEW.

Overall, NXT managed to win the first three quarters and five overall. AEW’s three quarter wins came from segments featuring Chris Jericho and Jon Moxley. In fact, Moxley vs. Darby Allin won over Adam Cole vs. Dominick Dijakovic, 899,000 to 821,000. NXT’s highest points were the ending to Becky Lynch vs. Rhea Ripley and Matt Riddle vs. Ricochet, which both featured brawls with the main roster. NXT’s peak was 1,072,000 viewers. Dynamite’s peak, for the Chris Jericho/Scorpio Sky angle, was 1,004,000.

The observer noted that overall it seems AEW is done losing viewers and around 900,000 is their base. In specific demographics this week, AEW had a 0.16 in 12-17 (down 33%), 0.25 in 18-34 (down 26.5%), 0.53 in 35-49 (up 1.4%) and 0.29 in 50 and older (same as last week). The audience was 66.7% male in 18-49 and 61.5% male in 12-17. NXT, meanwhile, had a 0.13 in 12-17 (up 18.2%), 0.19 in 18-34 (up 18.8%), 0.41 in 35-49 (up 20.6%) and 0.40 in 50 and older (up 14.3%). The audience was 63.9% male in 18-49 and 61.1% male in 12-17.

Here’s the breakdown of AEW Dynamite by quarters:

Q1: Nick Jackson vs. Rey Fenix – 912,000 viewers, 498,000 in 18-49
Q2: Britt Baker vs. Hikaru Shida – 862,000 viewers (lost 50,000), 472,000 in 18-49 (lost 26,000)
Q3: Dark Order promo/Dynamite Dozen battle royal – 875,000 viewers (up 13,000), 497,000 in 18-49 (up 25,000)
Q4: Dynamite Dozen battle royal/Chris Jericho & SCU segment – 973,000 viewers (up 98,000), 556,000 in 18-49 (up 59,000)
Q5: Jericho & SCU segment/Luchasaurus vs. Peter Avalon – 1,004,000 viewers (up 21,000), 582,000 in 18-49 (up 26,000)
Q6: Private Party vs. Proud and Powerful – 810,000 viewers (down 196,000), 472,000 in 18-49 (down 110,000)
Q7: Private Party vs. Proud and Powerful/Kenny Omega segment/Intros for Jon Moxley vs. Darby Allin – 806,000 viewers (down 4,000), 456,000 in 18-49 (down 19,000)
Q8: Jon Moxley vs. Darby Allin – 899,000 viewers (up 83,000), 508,000 in 18-49 (up 52,000)

And here’s the breakdown of NXT by quarters:

Q1: Becky Lynch promo/Becky Lynch vs. Rhea Ripley – 1,047,000 viewers, 430,000 in 18-49
Q2: End of Lynch vs. Ripley/brawl between brands/Ricochet vs. Matt Riddle/Another brawl – 1,072,000 viewers (up 25,000), 450,000 in 18-49 (up 20,000)
Q3: Undisputed Era vs. The Revival – 918,000 viewers (down 154,000), 387,000 in 18-49 (down 63,000)
Q4: Undisputed Era vs. The Revival – 851,000 viewers (down 67,000), 369,000 in 18-49 (down 18,000)
Q5: Undisputed Era vs. The Revival ending/Dakota Kai vs. Kay Lee Ray – 828,000 viewers (down 23,000), 363,000 in 18-49 (down 6,000)
Q6: Dakota Kai vs. Kay Lee Ray/Viking Raiders vs. Forgotten Sons – 876,000 viewers (up 48,000), 391,000 in 18-49 (down 28,000)
Q7: Adam Cole video/War Games video – 840,000 viewers (down 36,000), 362,000 in 18-49 (down 28,000)
Q8: Adam Cole vs. Dominick Dijakovic – 821,000 viewers (down 19,000), 359,000 in 18-49 (down 3,000)

The overrun gained 229,000 viewers to put it up to 1,050,000, and had a 447,000 in 18-49 (up 88,000). The AEW viewers that switched when that show was over included 9,000 teenagers, 6,000 women 18-34, 12,000 women 35-49, 41,000 men 18-34, 35,000 men 35-49 and 120,000 over 50.

For the first quarter specifically, AEW won with teenagers (25,000 to 14,000), 18-34 (186,000 to 138,000) and 35-49 (312,000 to 292,000), but lost in 50+ (554,000 to 340,000). Lynch’s segment won with women (69,000 in 18-34 and 124,000 in 35-49), where AEW pulled in 62,000 and 102,000 respectively. The men sided with AEW this time, 124,000 in 18-34 to NXT’s 69,000, and in 35-49 210,000 to 168,000.

Teenagers peaked for AEW with Allin vs. Moxley, a 30% increase from the seventh quarter. NXT’s peak in the measure was the Viking Raiders vs. The Forgotten Sons, which actually beat AEW 21,000 to 20,000.

For the women in 18-34, NXT peaked with Lynch vs. Ripley. The Chris Jericho/SCU segment beat Undisputed Era vs. The Revival, 83,000 to 40,000, while Allin vs. Moxley beat Cole vs. Dijakovic 68,000 to 36,000 in favor of AEW. In women 35-49, it was similar, with AEW winning the main event by 100,000 to 81,000 and Lynch vs. Ripley peaking for NXT.

In Men 18-34, AEW peaked with Fenix vs. Jackson and the battle royal. NXT peaked with Kay Lee Ray vs. Dakota Kai, which was NXT’s only quarter win in this measure. In Men 35-49, AEW peaked with the Jericho/SCU segment had impressive numbers for Fenix vs. Jackson, the battle royal and Allin vs. Moxley. NXT did the best here in Q2 and Q6.

Over 50, NXT peaked with Lynch vs. Ripley and continued to fall after that, dropping from from 554,000 to 423,000 by the third quarter and never going back up. AEW did best with the Jericho/SCU segment (353,000) and Jackson vs. Fenix (340,000).