SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
In a highly unlikely occurrence, AEW Dynamite and NXT on USA tied in total live-and-same-night-DVR viewership at 778,000. NXT edged AEW in overall rating with a 0.60 rating compared to a 0.56 rating, indicative of a higher average viewers per minute for NXT over the course of two hours. In target demographics, it was AEW with its usual lead with a 0.28 rating among the 18-49 demo compared to 0.24 for NXT. Also, AEW outdrew NXT in the male 18-49 demo 0.40 to 0.34 and younger 18-34 male demo of 0.24 to 0.19.
Adding live-plus-three-days viewership totals last week, AEW came out ahead 1.062 million to 1.011 million. In the same stat, the Nov. 27 battle resulted in NXT having the total viewership edge 986,000 to 972,000. But extended to seven days of viewership, AEW took the lead 1.016 million to 1.014 million.
In other words, the total viewership battle is ridiculously close in recent weeks. NXT viewers generally watch a longer stretch of the show than AEW viewers do, but AEW viewers are younger and more “appealing” to advertisers.
If patterns hold, AEW will end up outdrawing NXT once +3 and +7 viewers are added, with younger viewers more likely than older viewers to “catch up” on a show on delay.
The bad news for both shows is that viewership dropped well below recent weeks, excluding the Thanksgiving Eve numbers.
Why extend it to seven days?