WWE NXT is destroying AEW Dynamite in consecutive weeks amid the Tuesday Night War

WWE NXT soundly defeated AEW Dynamite for the second year in a row at the annual Tuesday Night Wars. Dynamite’s “Title Tuesday” special posted a scary low of 329,000 viewers (down 53% from last week) and 128,000 in 18-49, while WWE NXT totaled 874,000 viewers (down 2% from last week) and 318,000 in 18-49 attracted. NXT has now surpassed Dynamite in total viewers (895,000 to 702,000 last week) and 18-49 (0.26 to 0.20 last week) for the second straight year after NXT's premiere on the CW Network the following night marked the five-year anniversary of AEW crowned.

The MLB Playoffs take part in AEW Dynamite once a year in October, paving the way for a head-to-head battle with NXT. AEW's viewership has suffered in recent years, and after defeating developmental brand WWE on Wednesday nights in its formative years, Dynamite has not had a straight win against NXT since October 2022.

WWE NXT vs AEW Dynamite ratings and viewership

• WWE NXT Ratings | 874,000 total viewers; 318,000 in the 18-19 season
• AEW Dynamite Reviews | 329,000 total viewers; 128,000 in 18-49

AEW's viewership problems cap a long weekend of record-breaking viewership across all flagship programs. AEW Rampage drew 216,000 viewers last Friday with a rating of just 0.07 in the 18-49 rating, Rampage's second-lowest 18-49 rating ever. In a head-to-head Death Spot against WWE Bad Blood on Saturday, AEW Collision drew 269,000 viewers with a 0.05 rating in 18-49.

This was Collision's lowest 18-49 rating in its regular timeslot.

As the fourth quarter of 2024 begins, AEW looks set to take a victory lap amid its lucrative new television deal with WBD. Unfortunately, the news is bittersweet, as AEW's revenue growth stands in stark contrast to poor key performance indicators (KPI) in viewership and ticket sales. Although AEW programming has faced stiff competition recently, viewers have fled the commercials for years with or without excuses. AEW's ticket sales continue to struggle, and Dynamite's attendance at last night's Title Tuesday was the lowest in history outside of Daily's Place.

At AEW Dynamite's go-home show on Tuesday, Willow Nightingale became the new No. 1 contender for Mariah May's AEW Women's World Championship. Jay White challenged hangman Adam Page and Bryan Danielson brawled with Blackpool Combat Club ahead of what could be his final match as a full-time performer this Saturday at AEW WrestleDream.

WWE NXT in St. Louis, which also drew fewer than 2,000 tickets, albeit in a smaller arena, advertised a star-studded lineup that included main stars Jey Uso, Randy Orton, A-Town Down Under, Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill. NXT also featured an appearance from Sexxy Red and several surprises, including the debut of Stephanie Vaquer and a shocking title change when underdog Tony D'Angelo defeated the dominant Oba Femi for the NXT North American Championship.

Despite AEW's recent rise, money can't come easy. AEW lost the spark it originally had as a unique contender brand, and as WWE sold out arena shows in record time in the Paul Levesque era, Tony Khan and AEW lost the advantage they once had against the turbulent (and past) Vince entered the McMahon era.

Once upon a time, AEW could do no wrong when challenged by WWE. In 2021, AEW Rampage surprisingly defeated WWE SmackDown while the two brands aired in the same timeslot for 30 minutes. That seems like such a long time ago because “Rampage” is set to go out with a whimper as part of AEW’s new television deal with WBD.

Aside from Dynamite, which is currently struggling, AEW has failed to put together a strong B-show. Both AEW Dark and AEW Elevation were canceled in 2023 to accommodate Collision, but Collision's Saturday night timeslot has failed in ratings due to a combination of competition from WWE PLEs, mainstream sports and, most importantly, its blatant irrelevance. Given the erosion of KPIs, the alleged addition of AEW Shockwave should be a cause for concern as AEW continues to suffer from diminishing marginal returns.