TBS and TNT were also unable to escape low ratings, with “AEW Dynamite” and “AEW Collision” both performing terribly this past week. The September 3 edition of “Dynamite” drew 472,000 viewers and an 0.11 in the 18-49 demographic, with both ratings being the lowest numbers the show has recorded in their normal Wednesday night time slot. Along with “Dynamite” ranking outside of the top 20 on cable for the day, the show lost over 100,000 viewers from the previous week, which had an audience of 585,000. “Collision” also drew under the 200,000 viewer mark for the first time since February this year, with college football once again proving to dominate its competition.  

Meltzer noted that AEW’s viewership has taken a hit since beginning their residency at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He explained that the venue lacking a “major league look” has seemingly made a significant difference, with “Dynamite” being down in viewership by 33.6% since last month, and “Collision” losing half their audience in just a few weeks. Meltzer continued to note that “Dynamite” ranked below programs such as NASCAR, “Smackdown,” five sessions of the U.S. Open tennis tournament and nine college football related shows. Overall, even with “Collision” posting solid DVR numbers or AEW still generating a strong audience on HBO MAX, Meltzer feels that there’s nothing positive about the company’s ratings last week.

Finally, Meltzer explained that wrestling is not the exception for weaker ratings as of late, with cable stations such as TBS, TNT and USA hitting record lows as well, with the return of football and cord-cutting being the main reasons for the decline in viewership.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit “Wrestling Observer Newsletter” with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.