The wrestling business can be unpredictable, and AEW discovered this harsh reality when their June 25 Dynamite episode struggled to maintain the momentum from their triumphant Grand Slam Mexico spectacular. Despite delivering solid in-ring action and advancing key storylines toward All In Texas, the promotion watched a significant portion of their audience slip away in the ratings game.
The Numbers Tell a Sobering Story
According to data from The Programming Insider and Wrestlenomics, Dynamite’s return to American soil drew 613,000 total viewers. This represents a steep 17% decline from the previous week’s impressive 736,000 viewership for Grand Slam Mexico. The drop becomes even more concerning when measured against AEW’s recent performance trends.
The episode also fell 7% below the promotion’s trailing four-week average of 656,000 viewers. While these figures don’t account for MAX streaming numbers, they paint a picture of audience retention challenges following special international events.
Demo Performance Faces Even Steeper Decline
The coveted 18-49 demographic showed an even more dramatic downturn for Tony Khan’s promotion. Dynamite registered a 0.15 rating in the key demo, representing a substantial 29% drop from Grand Slam Mexico’s 0.21 performance. This figure also landed 17% below the four-week trailing average of 0.18.
However, the wrestling faithful shouldn’t panic just yet. Despite the concerning numbers, AEW still managed to secure fifth place among all primetime cable programming. When factoring in network television competition, Dynamite claimed the tenth position for the evening.
Television Competition Landscape
The cable television battlefield proved particularly challenging on June 25. Only ESPN’s NBA Draft coverage and a three-hour block of FOX News programming managed to outperform AEW’s wrestling content. The NBA Draft dominated both cable and overall television rankings, demonstrating the power of major sports events during summer programming.
This competitive environment highlights the ongoing challenges wrestling promotions face when competing against mainstream sports and news programming for viewer attention.
In-Ring Action Delivered Despite Ratings Struggles
The actual wrestling content continued building toward All In Texas on July 12. Mark Briscoe secured his position in the men’s Casino Gauntlet match, while Kris Statlander earned her spot in the women’s version of the chaotic multi-person contest.
Wrestling fans witnessed Kota Ibushi’s highly anticipated in-ring return as he faced off against Trent Beretta. The Japanese star’s comeback has been a significant storyline for AEW’s international expansion efforts.
The Young Bucks also settled their score with Hangman Page, delivering payback for Page’s Buckshot Lariat on Matt Jackson from the previous week. The Death Riders played a crucial role in helping the EVPs gain their revenge, adding another layer to AEW’s complex faction warfare.
Milestone Episode Approaches
AEW has significant opportunities ahead to reverse this ratings trend. The promotion’s historic 300th episode of Dynamite approaches next week, featuring several marquee matchups designed to capture audience attention.
Mercedes Mone will defend the AEW TBS Championship against Mina Shirakawa in what promises to be a technical masterpiece. Additionally, the dream match between Kota Ibushi and Kazuchika Okada should deliver the kind of elite-level wrestling that built AEW’s reputation among hardcore fans.
As AEW navigates these viewership challenges while building toward their Texas pay-per-view spectacular, one question remains: Can Tony Khan’s promotion maintain consistent audience engagement between their special events, or will these post-international show drops become a concerning pattern for the company’s television future?
