By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
The AEW Rampage television show delivered 1.129 million viewers for Friday’s episode on TNT, according to Brandon Thurston of Wrestlenomics.com. The number was up from last week’s 740,000 viewership count for the premiere edition. Rampage finished with a .53 in the 18-49 demographic, up from last week’s .30 in the same demo.
Powell’s POV: While we’ll never know what type of numbers the show would have produced with a full on marketing blitz for the return of CM Punk, it still did great numbers considering they officially didn’t actually advertise his return. And now that Punk has returned and is advertised for Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite, it will be fascinating to see how type of numbers that show produces.
Time slot could be a factor but Tyrus with the NWA tv title on a cable talk show at 11pm does about 2 million or over every night
But it wasn’t a big secret Punk being on there its a good number I just thought it would have been higher
I wonder how many who were watching smackdown flipped it over at 10 thats what I’ve been doing
To be fair, the demo watching Fox News is the same demo that’s going to have cable, watch linear TV and be home to watch live TV at 10 pm on a Friday night. I think AEW is going to find there’s always going to a ceiling on the number they can draw for Rampage with the type of audience they’re chasing. That said, I imagine TNT is aware of that and thrilled with the number.
I for one an stunned that number isn’t a lot better
I would guess that every single true aew fan watched that episode. So my guess is that is pretty much their fan base.
I know both promotions point to on line numbers (for YouTube hits etc) but we all knew what was coming and a real hard core fan (which I think most aew fans are) really Wanted to see this moment live as if happened
On the West Coast, live as it happened was a few hours before we could watch the show on TNT–and YouTube had most of the segment up well before 10pm our time.
Oh I didn’t know this! You can’t see the it live on the west coast? That’s strange. TNT/TBS don’t do this with other sports
Might be a difference maker. Thanks for sharing that
You would think they would have it live on the west coast but I’m guessing thats out of their hands sometimes