Why WWE and AEW Are Likely to Remain Quiet About Falling TV Ratings

Tony Khan recently addressed the growing concern over AEW’s television ratings decline, attributing part of the drop to changes in Nielsen’s data tracking system. Speaking during the AEW WrestleDream media call, Khan avoided slamming the new methodology and instead framed it as part of an evolving media landscape.

Khan acknowledged that recent episodes of AEW Dynamite haven’t delivered the ratings they expected, but he remained optimistic about the company’s momentum. He also reminded media that 2025 has still been a strong year for AEW overall and pointed out that the entire industry—not just AEW—has been affected.

Rather than critique Nielsen directly, Khan described the situation as an adjustment period for everyone involved. He noted that the revised system, which incorporates more big data sources, may actually result in more modernized and accurate measurement in the long term.

Khan said AEW is built to adapt and remains focused on growing its brand across multiple platforms—not just cable TV. While Khan chose to comment, WWE has stayed completely silent. And AEW isn’t pushing the issue either. According to Wrestling Observer Radio’s Dave Meltzer, that’s by design.

Meltzer and Garrett Gonzales had a lengthy discussion about the sudden drop in wrestling TV ratings across WWE and AEW. Since Nielsen’s new methodology rolled out, shows like SmackDown, NXT, and Dynamite have posted all-time low numbers in the 18–34 and 18–49 demographics. The collapse has been so steep that Meltzer questioned the accuracy of the data. Garrett Gonzales raised the logical follow-up: why aren’t WWE and AEW raising hell about this publicly, especially when millions in ad revenue are on the line?

“I mean, if anyone’s going to create hell about this, shouldn’t it be Warner Brothers and Versant and those—the companies who are losing money on these ratings?”

Meltzer agreed and said that while the networks are likely raising questions behind the scenes, the wrestling companies themselves are avoiding any public criticism.

“Absolutely, absolutely. I think with AEW and WWE themselves, I think in both cases they don’t want to call attention to that fact. I mean, in a public way. It’s like, I think that they both want actually less written about it than is. They don’t want to draw attention to these numbers. They’ll handle it privately.”

He explained that calling attention to low ratings would only hurt their image, especially with fans largely unaware of the behind-the-scenes data drop.

“Aside from wrestling fans, people aren’t really aware of the wrestling drop. And I don’t think WWE wants anything that makes them look less popular when there’s a perception that they’re very hot—and they are. And AEW even more, because they already have the perception issue in a lot of ways. So this would only make it worse if they were to call attention and complain. And plus, they’d kind of be viewed as crybabies if they complained.”

In Meltzer’s view, WWE is riding a strong perception wave—thanks to record-breaking events, big names, and solid business—but the reality of the viewership numbers is more complicated. Meanwhile, AEW is more vulnerable to scrutiny and already fighting an uphill PR battle, so the last thing they want is attention on ratings that appear artificially low.

Meltzer believes both companies are likely talking to Nielsen and their network partners privately—but they have no interest in dragging the conversation into the public eye.

As the digital-first era continues to pull attention away from traditional cable ratings, Meltzer and Khan’s comments raise a bigger question: are Nielsen’s numbers still the gold standard for measuring success in pro wrestling?

Should WWE and AEW keep handling the ratings mess behind closed doors, or should they speak out and push for more transparency? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

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