AEW Collision Viewership and Key Demo Rating Decline from Premier Episode
The latest episode of AEW Collision faced a decline in viewership and key demographic ratings compared to its premiere. According to Showbuzz Daily, AEW Collision drew 595,000 viewers on TNT at 8pm this past Saturday night, marking a 27.08% drop from the previous week’s episode, which garnered 816,000 viewers for the Collision premiere.
In terms of the key 18-49 demographic, the second episode of Collision earned a 0.21 rating, down 36.36% from the initial premiere episode’s 0.33 rating. This translates to 272,000 viewers from the 18-49 demographic who tuned in. This figure represents a 36.74% decrease from the 430,000 viewers within the same demographic that watched the premiere, as reported by Wrestlenomics.
Furthermore, the ranking of Collision also witnessed a decline. The second episode secured the fifth spot on the Cable Top 150 in terms of the 18-49 key demographic, down from the previous week’s third position. In terms of overall viewership, the second episode ranked 58th on cable for the night, a significant drop from the previous week’s 16th ranking.
Comparisons with past episodes of other AEW shows highlight a similar trend. The second episode of Dynamite in 2019 saw a decline of 28% and 32% in total audience and key demographic rating when compared to the premiere. Similarly, in 2021, the third episode of Rampage experienced a 36% drop in both total audience and key demographic rating when compared to the second episode, which featured the debut of CM Punk.
It is worth noting that AEW Collision faced tough competition on Saturday night. The College World Series game featuring LSU vs. Florida on ESPN at 7pm took the top spot in the Cable Top 150 with a 0.55 key demo rating. The game also attracted the highest viewership on cable with 2.579 million viewers.
On broadcast TV, ABC World News Tonight secured the highest viewership of the day with an average of 4.528 million viewers, accompanied by a 0.28 key demo rating. MLB coverage on FOX at 1pm ranked first in the 18-49 key demo on broadcast TV with a 0.39 rating, garnering 1.798 million viewers.
Despite the decline in ratings, AEW Collision continues to release new episodes. The latest episode, entitled Forbidden Door II, was aired live from the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The show included several advertised segments, such as the build-up for the Forbidden Door II event, a promo featuring Miro, and a match with Powerhouse Hobbs. Additionally, viewers witnessed Christian Cage addressing the AEW TNT Title held by Luchasaurus, as well as Sting and Darby Allin revealing their partner for Forbidden Door II. The show also featured matches including AEW World Trios Champion Brody King vs. Andrade El Idolo, NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Swerve Strickland, and NJPW Strong Women’s Champion Willow Nightingale vs. Nyla Rose in a quarterfinal match for the Women’s Owen Hart Memorial Tournament. The main event featured CM Punk, Ricky Starks, and AEW World Tag Team Champions FTR battling against Jay White, Juice Robinson, and The Gunns.
While AEW Collision experienced a decline in viewership and key demo ratings from its premiere, it remains to be seen how the show will adapt to the challenges and competition in the highly competitive wrestling landscape. Fans and critics continue to analyze the show’s performance, eagerly anticipating future episodes and the strategies AEW will employ moving forward.
