NXT Dominates Prime-Time Cable Ahead of Move to The CW Network

Summary

– WWE NXT pulls in 677,000 viewers, up 7.8% from the prior week.

– Tops prime-time cable with a 0.21 rating in the 18-49 demographic, the highest since July.

– Episode marks the second-to-last show on USA Network before shifting to The CW.

Tuesday night’s WWE NXT experienced a surge in viewership, hitting 677,000 on the USA Network. This boost, driven by CM Punk’s special appearance, represents a 7.8% increase from the previous episode, making it the most-watched NXT broadcast since mid-June. The show topped the prime-time cable ratings and ranked fifth across all television for the night, earning a 0.21 rating in the key 18-49 demographic, a slight uptick of 0.5% from last week. This figure marks NXT’s best rating in this category since early July.

NXT faced minimal competition in sports that evening, with the most-watched game being the MLB matchup on TBS, which garnered 384,000 viewers and a 0.08 rating in the 18-49 demographic. The lack of major sports events likely contributed to NXT’s strong performance.

However, when looking at year-over-year data, NXT’s numbers tell a different story. Compared to the same week in 2023, there’s been a 17.8% decline in overall viewers and a 12.5% drop in the 18-49 demographic. This marks the ninth time in the last ten weeks that NXT has seen a year-over-year decline in viewership and key demographic ratings. Still, compared to the recent 10-week average, this episode saw a significant improvement, with a 12.3% rise in total viewers and a 16.7% jump in the 18-49 category.

As NXT prepares to move to The CW Network on October 1, this episode served as the second-to-last show on the USA Network. Here’s a look at the viewership numbers and 18-49 ratings for the last 11 weeks, alongside the recent 10-week averages, showing how this week’s performance stacks up.