Why Triple H May Not Take Over WWE From Vince McMahon
We can determine from this data that NXT's routine weekly show is not a hit amongst viewers; with one rule-proving exception, only when it is adjacent to a TakeOver or is in some way linked to the main roster does it approach AEW Dynamite. That isn't necessarily an indictment of its quality, but it's no less true. Sadly, the brand built on the triumphs of Sami Zayn, Bayley and American Alpha has, in pursuit of critical acclaim and a spiteful war to which it is almost pitifully reactive, lost its ability to craft the thrill of the chase.
NXT has failed thus far to win the Wednesday Night War, but this isn't necessarily concerning in and of itself to USA Network executives and shareholders; that NXT draws less than a third of RAW's viewership on average is, and moreover, NXT has failed to out-perform the previous USA time slot. There's an obvious caveat to measuring ratings data in this ongoing climate, but recently, when Bryan Alvarez and John Pollock drop those Wednesday ratings on Twitter, several weeks have seen a delay on the NXT side. That is because NXT has failed on more than one occasion to crack the top 50 shows in the all-important 18-49 demographic. If it weren't all-important, there would be no delay in reporting. Per Hollywood Insider, "Adults 18-49 is the primary demographic by which ad rates are set for entertainment programming, so it's the most commonly reported."
When a fact is interpreted as an excuse, that does not diminish the fact because it is a fact. And the fact is, WWE NXT is not a draw amongst the most important demographic. This should be of significant concern to the USA Network, and indeed WWE.
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