The debut of WWE‘s NXT on The CW Tuesday night saw a significant jump in viewership.
The broadcast network debut of WWE’s weekly show featuring developmental talent averaged 895,000 viewers from 8-10 p.m. That is up 44% compared to last week’s episode, which aired on USA Network. Viewership peaked between 8:15 and 8:30 with 965,000 viewers. The episode was also the number one telecast on CW this year among adults 25-54 and adults 18-49 with 406,000 viewers and 354,000 respectively.
The viewership represented a 143% increase in total viewers over CW’s Tuesday primetime average this season, with affiliates in markets like New York, Los Angeles, Dallas, and Detroit also notching triple digit increases in viewership versus last week.
The inaugural NXT on The CW saw Trick Williams regain the NXT championship, as well as special appearances by CM Punk, Jade Cargill, and Bianca Belair. Next week, WWE superstar Randy Orton will make a special guest appearance.
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It was announced in November 2023 that NXT would be moving from USA to The CW in a five-year deal valued at $20 million-$25 million a year. NXT is the brainchild of Paul “Triple H” Levesque, who now serves as WWE’s chief content officer. The show is currently overseen by Shawn Michaels, himself a WWE Hall of Famer with a legendary in-ring career.
Since its launch, NXT has become an integral part of WWE’s talent development process. Current stars like Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, Becky Lynch, Rhea Ripley, and Kevin Owens all got their start in WWE via NXT.
