Two weeks ago, the New Year’s Eve edition of “AEW Dynamite” drew just 398,000 viewers, which was the lowest audience that the show has ever recorded during its usual Wednesday time slot. However, with New Year’s festivities taking place, it was expected that “Dynamite’s” viewership would take a hit, though the record low number definitely raised some eyebrows to kickoff 2026. Thankfully, this past Wednesday’s episode saw AEW bounce back from the poor rating last week, with its totals aligning more with the previous figures the show garnered throughout December.

According to Wrestlenomics, “Dynamite” averaged 516,000 viewers and posted an 0.08 in the key 18-49 demographic. When comparing both categories to the week prior, total viewership increased by 30%, with the 18-49 demo also improved by 14%. “Dynamite” also performed well despite facing stiff sports competition, with 12 NBA games taking place on Wednesday night.

Although “Dynamite” managed to start the new year on a high note, the program’s audience has shrunk by 18% after averaging 628,000 viewers this time last year. Unfortunately, the 18-49 demo has also suffered, with the category being down by a whopping 53% since January 2025. Additionally, “Dynamite’s” ticket sales have continued to steadily decline, with Wednesday’s episode selling 2,951 seats from the BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, which is a 10% decrease from the last time AEW visited the venue two years ago. 

Going forward, it remains to be seen if “Dynamite” will be able to stay above the 500,000 viewer mark, as Nielsen’s new “Big Data + Panel” system has negatively affected professional wrestling ratings across the board over the past three months. That said, hopefully “Dynamite” will maintain its viewership with AEW Revolution on the horizon, which has traditionally been one of the promotion’s most noteworthy events on a yearly basis.