WBD Confirms AEW On HBO Max Not Included In New Nielsen Ratings System

Warner Bros. Discovery has confirmed that HBO Max’s live AEW simulcast streams are not part of the new Nielsen TV ratings system. As previously reported, Nielsen started a new ratings system, referred to as “Big Data + Panel,” which includes traditional Nielsen “panel” ratings with numbers from set-top boxes and smart TVs. Some fans were wondering if that meant that HBO Max streams would be included in the new ratings numbers, but that is not the case according to Wrestlenomics.

Wrestlenomics reached out to WBD about the matter and got a statement from the company’s spokesperson which read:

“Nothing has changed in terms of what is baked into their numbers from the WBD side of things. AEW’s “Dynamite” and “Collision” linear viewership information reported by Nielsen still does not include HBO Max streaming viewership.”

As of now, it is unclear whether streams from other media companies like NBCUniversal and Paramount are included in Big Data + Panel.

It was noted over the weekend that the changes, which have caused wrestling shows to come in at lower-than-expected numbers, have been a big part of conversation backstage in every major wrestling company and that the new system is being monitored by AEW, WWE and others. However, it must also be said that these numbers are coming in opposite the arrival of major sports events like the MLB postseason, NFL & college football and more, so it remains to be seen if the Big Data + Panel change is what’s actually causing the lower numbers.