Dynamite’s numbers aren’t changing much on Friday nights

Nobody is thrilled AEW’s flagship show is being watched live by roughly 300,000 less people each week this month. But there are plenty of glass-half-full ways to look at Dynamite’s recent ratings performance while being pre-empted to the weekend by the NBA Playoffs.

For the most recent episode, one of those ways is that the overnight audience grew more than 5% from the week prior, to 487K. That number, and the unchanged rating among 18 - 49 year olds (.19), comes from Wrestlenomics’ Brandon Thurston.

In addition to the viewership gain, these numbers are not at all bad considering the time slot, and the competition from live sports on other channels. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter also reports that during this stretch of pre-emptions on TNT, more people have been watching on DVR and via VOD replays than have been watching during the original broadcast. So there are signs the regular Wednesday night audience is still there, just not all at the same time.

Another Friday show this week, a Saturday edition with Kenny Omega vs. Jungle Boy for the World title after that, and then back to your regularly scheduled Dynamite on June 30.

Here’s a breakdown of AEW viewership and rating in the 18-49 demo over the last year:

• June 3, 2020: 730,000 / .29
• June 10: 677,000 / .23
• June 17: 772,000 / .28
• June 24: 633,000 / .22
• July 1: 748,000 / .29
• July 8: 715,000 / .28
• July 15: 788,000 / .29
• July 22: 845,000 / .32
• July 29: 773,000 / .30
• Aug. 5: 901,000 / .36
• Aug. 12: 792,000 / .32
• Aug. 22: 755,000 / .31
• Aug. 27: 813,000 / .29
• Sept. 2: 928,000 / .36
• Sept. 9: 1.02 million / .37
• Sept. 16: 886,000 / .34
• Sept. 23: 835,000 / .32
• Sept. 30: 866,000 / .33
• Oct. 7: 753,000 / .31
• Oct. 14: 826,000 / .30
• Oct. 21: 753,000 / .30
• Oct. 28: 781,000 / .32
• Nov. 4: 717,000 / .30
• Nov. 11: 764,000 /.30
• Nov. 18: 850,000 / .37
• Nov. 25: 710,000 / .26
• Dec. 2: 913,000 / .42
• Dec. 9: 995,000 / .45
• Dec. 16: 806,000 / .32
• Dec. 23: 775,000 / .32
• Dec. 30: 977,000 / .40
• Jan. 6, 2021: 662,000 / .25
• Jan. 13: 762,000 / .30
• Jan. 20: 854,000 / .36
• Jan. 27: 734,000 / .29
• Feb. 3: 844,000 / .32
• Feb. 10: 741,000 / .29
• Feb. 17: 747,000 / .31
• Feb. 24: 831,000 / .35
• Mar. 3: 934,000 / .33
• Mar. 10: 743,000 / .32
• Mar. 17: 768,000 / .28
• Mar. 24: 757,000 / .30
• Mar. 31: 700,000 / .26
• Apr. 7: 688,000 / .28
• Apr. 14: 1,219,000 / .44
• Apr. 21: 1,104,000 / .37
• Apr. 28: 889,000 / .33
• May 5: 1,090,000 / .42
• May 12: 936,000 / .31
• May 19: 821,000 / .28
• May 28: 526,000 / .20
• June 4: 462,000 / .19
• June 11: 487,000 / .19

For complete results and this week’s Dynamite live blog click here. To read a recap & review of the night’s events click here. For highlights of the show click here.