WWE NXT did explode for a series premiere last night on The CW Network, drawing the highest audience to date for the show since October 2023.
In its broadcast, the total viewership put up an impressive 895,000+ viewers and jumped 44% from last week's same show on cable. The episode peaked between 8:15-8:30 p.m. with 965,000 viewers, an apparent #1 telecast on The CW this year in key demographics, including adults 25-54 (406,000) and adults 18-49 (354,000).
NXT Championship Win and Superstar Appearances Steal the Show
WWE NXT's move to The CW was filled with lots of high-stakes action as Trick Williams stole back the NXT Championship. The evening also ran hot, with excitement from guest spots from WWE's CM Punk, Bianca Belair, and Jade Cargill powering a big leap in ratings.
The premiere was a landslide victory for The CW Network, bringing in a triple-digit increase in total viewers, rising 143% above the network's average during the primetime season on Tuesdays.
The increases also occurred in major cities such as New York (WPIX-TV), Los Angeles (KTLA-TV), Dallas (KDAF-TV), and Detroit (WKBD-TV), signaling that the arrival of NXT on The CW is attracting new viewers in core markets.
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The CW: New Home for Live Sports
Fresh from the huge success of WWE NXT, it is no surprise that the CW Network can celebrate the premiere of NASCAR Xfinity Series racing on September 20. As the reputation of the network as a network for live sports programming grows, so does its appeal to audiences.
In a short space of two huge premieres that happened within weeks of each other, it is pretty clear that viewers are increasingly tuning in to The CW for more live entertainment events.
WWE and The CW Announce Five-Year Deal for NXT
WWE and The CW Network announced this week a history-making five-year deal that would bring NXT wrestling to broadcast television for the first time in its program history, as per Variety. As the exclusive home of NXT, The CW will air live 52 events around the world each week, including the new brand.
Since 2012, the brainchild of WWE Chief Content Officer Paul "Triple H" Levesque, NXT has served as a proving ground for upcoming talent. Almost 90% of those who rose through the ranks this year to participate in WrestleMania were products of development under the NXT banner - cementing NXT as an indispensable part of the future of WWE.
NXT, as spearheaded by WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels, continues to attract younger audiences and promises more growth on The CW.
The next live event of WWE NXT will be streamed on Tuesday, October 8th, from St. Louis, as a special guest WWE Superstar Randy Orton joins the fray. With the momentum the debut on The CW has built up, NXT is well on its way to dishing out even more high-grade entertainment that viewers will not want to miss.
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