Nielsen’s new television ratings system has sent shockwaves through the wrestling industry, slashing reported viewership for major shows and raising fears over long-term financial fallout.

The updated method, called “Big Data + Panel,” blends Nielsen’s traditional 42,000-household panel with data from 45 million homes and 75 million devices. While intended to be more accurate, the change has hammered wrestling’s reported numbers, with both WWE NXT and AEW Dynamite taking big hits.

This week’s WWE NXT on The CW averaged 572,000 viewers and a 0.10 rating in the 18-49 demo, down 41 percent from last week. Under the old system, the same show would have drawn a 0.16 rating. AEW Dynamite fared even worse, averaging just 465,000 viewers and a 0.09 demo rating, its lowest ever in the regular time slot. Both aired opposite a Yankees vs. Red Sox playoff game, but the Nielsen shift is seen as the bigger culprit.

Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer called the new system a “disaster for pro wrestling.” He pointed out that AEW’s core demographics cratered, with males 18-34 down 66 percent and women 18-34 down 57 percent, while older women actually ticked up. “While nothing in reality has changed, these numbers are going to be viewed long term with the conclusion young people don’t watch wrestling,” Meltzer wrote. “That’s a very bad conclusion when the vast majority of revenue comes from television.”

On Wrestling Observer Radio, Meltzer added that the new model was expected to help sports overall, but wrestling is bucking the trend. “Sports is up and wrestling is down a lot,” he said. “I haven’t seen anything else down at the level of wrestling. Everyone in both companies is trying to figure out why.”

The stakes are enormous, with hundreds of millions in advertising and future TV rights deals on the line. Meltzer stressed how damaging the perception shift could be: “You go from being a star performer to an also-ran.”

He used NXT’s invasion storyline as an example, noting how the show’s actual momentum is solid, yet the 0.10 rating makes it look like a flop compared to the 0.16 it would have scored under the old system.

Comment - Join WNS (It’s Free!) 

Ready to join the discussion? Sign up in 30 seconds to comment on wrestling news, connect with fans, and track your activity on the WNS leaderboard. Click the link to sign up today - Become a Member (Don't forget to verify your email!).