10 Fascinating Backstage Facts From CM Punk's AEW Run

2. Punk Equals Ratings

Fact: For good or bad, CM Punk’s appearance on AEW programming typically meant better ratings, especially for his returns.

It really shouldn’t shock anyone that CM Punk was a ratings driver for a good chunk of his run, especially his debut on Rampage (still the highest rating for viewers and the ever-important 18-49 demographic for the entire show’s run) and the first episode of Collision (setting both records for that show for Punk’s return from injury/suspension).

Also, Punk’s AEW World Championship unification match with Jon Moxley on the August 24 Dynamite drew one of the biggest ratings of 2022 for the show.

Whether you want to admit it or not, Punk brought eyeballs to the product. And critics will be watching ratings closely in the coming weeks and months to see if they drop off post-firing. You can bet there will be plenty of armchair analysis of that data.