The April 24 episode of “AEW Dynamite” sparked discussions for various reasons. Jon Moxley defended the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship, Swerve Strickland debuted as the AEW World Champion, and The Elite concluded the show by recruiting Jack Perry and assaulting company CEO Tony Khan.
Despite these significant events, the episode garnered its lowest total viewership since January 2021, excluding pre-empted episodes.
However, Warner Bros. Discovery, AEW’s parent company, expressed satisfaction with the performance of “AEW Dynamite.” According to a source within WBD contacted by PWInsider, company executives were pleased with the rating given the competition.
Brandon Thurston of Wrestlenomics suggested that the abundance of sporting events on Wednesday night, coupled with the show airing live on the west coast at 5pm instead of the usual 8pm, may have contributed to the lower viewership.
The source from PWI highlighted that “AEW Dynamite” ranked sixth among cable shows on April 24.
Notably, three of the programs surpassing it were NBA-related broadcasts on TNT, another WBD network, with ESPN’s NHL playoffs coverage being the only other network to surpass AEW in viewership.
This outcome left individuals within WBD feeling content. Additionally, the source noted that despite audio issues during the episode, which were attributed to TBS rather than AEW, the promotion still prevailed.
WBD anticipates that the DVR numbers in the coming days will further improve the ratings for the April 24 episode beyond the initial reports.
