AEW Struggling to Stay in Top 20 as Nielsen Changes Shake Up TV Rankings

AEW’s place on weekly television just fell off a cliff. After once being near the top of the cable entertainment rankings, the promotion’s shows are now barely scraping into the top 20—if that. The October 2025 episode of AEW Collision pulled in a brutal 217,000 viewers and a 0.03 rating, tying its all-time low.

It wasn’t just a bad week—it’s part of a massive downward trend that could impact AEW’s long-term future. According to wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer, this isn’t a blip on the radar. It’s a financial crisis in the making.

“Collision did 217,000 viewers and a 0.03. It ties the lowest they’ve ever done. But that was expected going head-to-head with WWE and the Game 7 of the World Series. Still, these are terrible numbers.”

Meltzer said AEW used to dominate midweek cable, regularly outperforming popular reality TV staples.

“They would be beating everything on television but the NBA on Wednesdays… In 2023, for this week, I believe they were the number two entertainment show behind RAW. In 2024, number three. This year, 2025, this last week? I have them as number 20. And they’re probably lower than number 20 because we’re not getting the ratings for every show right now.”

What’s fueling the nosedive? A new Nielsen ratings system introduced in September is devastating the all-important 18–49 demographic—a key group advertisers pay premiums to reach.

“These stations, when they sell ads, they’re selling ads based on 18 to 49 numbers. And these numbers are hurting bad… These shows are down 30 to 40% since this new system came into place in September. This is not a small story. This is a gigantic story.”

That kind of drop translates directly to lost ad revenue and declining value for AEW’s programming. Meltzer warned that if AEW’s media rights deals were being negotiated today instead of last year, they’d be facing a much steeper uphill climb.

“This is a troubling thing when your programming price is so high. And there’s no great answer. Because the reality is, it’s Nielsen. And that’s not going to change.”

AEW’s TV product used to be the envy of cable. Now, it’s in danger of being seen as overvalued in a rapidly shifting media landscape. The company still draws loyal fans, but staying competitive in the ratings war may take more than just strong matches—it may take a total reset on how AEW reaches its audience.

Do you think AEW’s slump is just bad timing, or is it a warning sign for the future? Should they focus on streaming instead of cable? Drop your thoughts in the comments—we want to hear from you.