Is AEW Beating WWE?

As AEW continues to grow in popularity, many fans are wondering if it is finally beating WWE. While it is still early to say for sure, there are some signs that AEW is indeed gaining ground on its competitor.

Introduction

Since its inception in 2019, All Elite Wrestling has been steadily increasing its fan base and becoming a more credible wrestling promotion in the process. While AEW is still far from dethroning WWE as the top wrestling company in the world, it has certainly become a viable competitor in recent months.

There are several factors that contribute to AEW’s success, including its more diverse roster of wrestlers, its emphasis on storylines and character development, and its willingness to take risks. These elements have led to increased interest in AEW from both casual and hardcore wrestling fans alike.

While WWE still dominates the wrestling landscape, there is no doubt that AEW is quickly gaining ground. Only time will tell if AEW can continue to grow at its current pace and eventually overtake WWE as the top promotion in the business.

AEW’s Success

AEW is a new professional wrestling promotion founded in 2019 by Cody Rhodes, Matt Jackson, and Nick Jackson, who also serve as executive vice presidents. The promotion airs a weekly television show, Dynamite, on TNT. The company’s headquarters are in Jacksonville, Florida. AEW has been applauded for its young and fresh roster, innovative matches, and entertaining storylines.

AEW’s Ratings

Since its inception, AEW has been hot on WWE’s heels in the ratings department.

AEW’s flagship show, Dynamite, regularly beats WWE’s NXT in the 18-49 demographic, and has come close to toppling WWE’s mainstay, Raw, on several occasions.

In fact, in the month of October 2019, AEW bested Raw in the 18-49 demo for the first time ever.

While Raw still leads in total viewers overall, there is no denying that AEW is quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with in the world of professional wrestling.

AEW’s Viewership

Since its debut on October 2, 2019, AEW has constantly challenged WWE in the ratings war, with many believing that AEW is on the way to beating WWE.

AEW’s viewership has been impressive, with the company averaging 1.4 million viewers per week. In comparison, WWE’s Monday Night Raw averages 2.5 million viewers per week, while SmackDown Live averages 2.2 million viewers per week.

While AEW is still behind WWE in terms of overall viewership, there is no doubt that the company is closing the gap and could eventually overtake WWE as the top wrestling promotion in the world.

WWE’s Struggles

WWE has been on a decline in recent years. Their viewership is down, and many fans have grown tired of their product. AEW has quickly become a viable alternative for wrestling fans. AEW offers a more exciting product with fresher storylines. WWE needs to make some changes if they want to compete with AEW.

WWE’s Ratings

Since the early 2000s, WWE has experienced a decline in ratings. In 2000, the company’s flagship show, Monday Night Raw, averaged a 5.7 Nielsen rating. In 2019, that number had dipped to 2.4. The reasons for this decline are numerous and complicated, but there are a few key factors.

One is that WWE has simply become less interesting to casual viewers over time. The product has become increasingly convoluted and difficult to follow, with too many storylines and characters for casual viewers to keep track of. Additionally, the matches have often become too predictable, with pre-determined outcomes that are often easy to guessed beforehand.

Another factor is that WWE has been unable to find new stars to replace its aging superstars from the Attitude Era like Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock. While WWE has been able to create some new stars like CM Punk and Daniel Bryan, they have not been able to recreate the mainstream success and popularity of those from the past.

Lastly, WWE has faced increased competition in recent years from other wrestling companies like All Elite Wrestling (AEW). AEW has manage to poach some of WWE’s top talent like Chris Jericho and Jon Moxley, while also putting on a product that many feel is more enjoyable than what WWE is currently offering. This has led to many fans “jumping ship” from WWE to AEW in recent years.

While it remains to be seen if WWE will be able to turn things around, there is no doubt that the company is currently facing some stiff challenges.

WWE’s Viewership

Since AEW’s debut on TNT, WWE’s primetime viewership has taken a hit. For example, in the month of October 2019, Monday Night Raw averaged 2.37 million viewers while AEW Dynamite averaged 1.4 million viewers. In the key 18-49 demographic, Raw averaged a 0.75 rating while Dynamite averaged a 0.5 rating. In other words, AEW drew 20% less viewers than WWE in October 2019 but garnered a 33% higher 18-49 rating.

WWE officials have reportedly expressed concern over the company’s falling ratings and have been brainstorming ideas to improve their Nielsen numbers. While it is too early to tell if AEW will be able to maintain its momentum, the early signs are not good for WWE.

Conclusion

After taking a look at the data, it seems that AEW is indeed beating WWE in a number of key areas.

AEW has higher TV ratings, higher live event attendance, and higher merchandise sales. They also have a more diverse roster and are generally more popular with younger viewers.

There are some areas where WWE still holds an advantage, such as social media following and profitable business model. However, it seems clear that AEW is the current #1 wrestling promotion in the world.