CM Punk: "I Don't Think There Are Any Casual Wrestling Fans Left"
AEW's CM Punk speaks on that rare mythical creature, the Casual Wrestling Fan...
AEW's CM Punk is of the belief that casual pro wrestling fans don't exist anymore.
Speaking at the promotion's post-Full Gear 2021 media scrum this weekend, Punk said he believes there has likely been some overlap from fans who once watched him in WWE following him to AEW, comparing the two live audiences (h/t Sportskeeda Wrestling):-
"I definitely think there's overlap. I don't know if everybody who is a WWE fan came over here specifically just to watch me. But what I recognize in front of an AEW audience is an audience that I used to wrestle in front of prior to the [WWE], it's the wrestling fans."
Punk continued, offering the following quote on the oft-discussed casual wrestling fan:-
"People talk about trying to get casual viewers, [but] I don't think there's casual wrestling fans anymore. My opinion, maybe I'm wrong. Maybe somebody in TNT is gonna get mad that I'm saying this, or I am of this opinion. But, you know, our fans are wrestling fans, and we give them wrestling."
Casual fans are a constant talking point when consumers, critics, and pundits discuss pro wrestling, particularly when it comes to considering what promotions can do to attract bigger audiences. Generally, the sport's fanbase has been in decline since WWE's takeover of WCW in 2001, though AEW Dynamite has demonstrated clear year-over-year for much of 2021.
Per data compiled by Wrestlenomics, Dynamite has experienced the following changes in median P18-49 viewership over the past few months:-
August (439,000 in 2020 vs. 524,000 in 2021): +19%
September (445,000 vs. 588,999): +32%
October (395,000 vs. 504,000): +27%
November (so far) (386,000 vs. 437,000): +13%
Dynamite has, however, experienced dips in P18-49 and P2+ viewership over the past few weeks, likely owing to a change in timeslot in western timezones. Whether or not this becomes a pattern shall become clearer once the sample size grows.
Check out AEW's post-Full Gear 2021 media scrum in full below.