Tony Khan recently addressed the growing concern over AEWs television ratings decline, attributing part of the drop to changes in Nielsens 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 havent delivered the ratings they expected, but he remained optimistic about the companys momentum. He also reminded media that 2025 has still been a strong year for AEW overall and pointed out that the entire industrynot just AEWhas 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 platformsnot just cable TV. While Khan chose to comment, WWE has stayed completely silent. And AEW isnt pushing the issue either. According to Wrestling Observer Radios Dave Meltzer, thats by design.
Meltzer and Garrett Gonzales had a lengthy discussion about the sudden drop in wrestling TV ratings across WWE and AEW. Since Nielsens new methodology rolled out, shows like SmackDown, NXT, and Dynamite have posted all-time low numbers in the 1834 and 1849 demographics. The collapse has been so steep that Meltzer questioned the accuracy of the data. Garrett Gonzales raised the logical follow-up: why arent WWE and AEW raising hell about this publicly, especially when millions in ad revenue are on the line?
Meltzer agreed and said that while the networks are likely raising questions behind the scenes, the wrestling companies themselves are avoiding any public criticism.
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.
In Meltzers view, WWE is riding a strong perception wavethanks to record-breaking events, big names, and solid businessbut 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 privatelybut 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 Khans comments raise a bigger question: are Nielsens 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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