Clarification On Recent AEW Dynamite "More Than 4 Million Viewers" Claim
No, TBS, AEW's Dynamite viewership did not quadruple overnight...
Brandon Thurston of Wrestlenomics has moved to clarify Warner Bros. Discovery's recent claim that AEW Dynamite "brings more than 4 million viewers to TBS every Wednesday night," which came as part of the Tony Khan-helmed promotion's press release announcing the new 'AEW: All Access' series.
Said Jason Sarlanis, President, Turner Networks, ID, & HLN. Linear and Streaming, earlier this week:-
“AEW has such an amazingly loyal and dedicated fan base that brings in more than 4 million viewers to TBS every Wednesday night. With ‘All Access,’ we are bringing that incredible audience a whole new way to experience the wrestling universe they love. We have a powerful partnership with Tony Khan and AEW. With this new series we are expanding the franchise in a way that invites viewers inside the world of wrestling like never before.”
Given that outlets such as Wrestlenomics and Showbuzz Daily typically report weekly viewership in the 900,000-1,000,000 range for Dynamite, the claim raised eyebrows.
Thurston, who reached out to Warner Bros. Discovery about the "4 million" claim, learned that the number relates to the number of viewers watching at least one minute of TBS between 7PM and midnight as a weekly average in 2022:-
I'm told the measurement pertains to viewers who watched at least 1 minute of TBS on Wednesday from 7pm-12am, each week on average in 2022.
A WBD spokesperson told Wrestlenomics: "[W]e attribute most of that success to AEW Dynamite."Sarlanis's comment from the press release: pic.twitter.com/NWcGmVXIex
Advertisement— Brandon Thurston (@BrandonThurston) February 24, 2023
This week's Dynamite drew 1.028 million total viewers on TBS, hitting a P18-49 rating of 0.35:-
AEW Dynamite on TBS (8-10pm):1,028,000 viewersP18-49 rating: 0.35
AdvertisementExpect ranking info later from Showbuzz? https://t.co/qDSSxyAPtr pic.twitter.com/KgJq1fXGZ1
— Wrestlenomics (@wrestlenomics) February 23, 2023
This figure was enough for AEW's flagship to finish first on the night amongst original cable telecasts.