AEW & NXT TV Ratings Hurt By Coronavirus Coverage
Both shows took a hit this week.
AEW Dynamite scored another ratings victory over WWE NXT this week, though both shows experienced declines as news shows covering the coronavirus took over the night.
Dynamite's average viewership came in at 766,000, which is the show's weakest in 2020 and a decline of 15% on the previous week. NXT, meanwhile, fell by a slimmer margin, going from 718,000 last week to 697,000 this past Wednesday - also the show's lowest number in 2020.
As far as the key 18-49 demographic goes, AEW plummeted 25% to a 0.26 rating while NXT dropped down to 0.21. As usual, AEW won every single demo apart from viewers over the age of 50, where NXT won out with a 0.34 rating to Dynamite's 0.33.
The drops are easy to explain, as a nation gripped by the coronavirus outbreak tuned in to news reports, while Donald Trump's presidential addressed aired at the same time as both shows. Still, that AEW's decline was steeper than NXT's is notable. This has happened before, suggesting that Dynamite's audience is likelier to tune out when major events are going down elsewhere, with NXT's viewership seemingly more dedicated.