Neither the ongoing Nexus angle on RAW nor hype for the first NXT Poll (and resulting elimination) was enough to prevent this week’s WWE NXT from losing viewers.
According to Mediaweek, Tuesday’s episode fell to 1.048 million viewers with a 0.3 rating in the adults 18-49 demographic, marking a decline of 14% in total viewers and 25% in the young adults demo from last week’s values.
Interestingly, the show’s cable household rating actually improved from a 0.86 to a 0.93, indicating a decline in the number of viewers per household watching.
— F4WOnline.com’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported a pair of interesting tidbits related to the WWE vs. TNA dynamic:
– In a clear sign of how quickly TNA has fallen off WWE’s competitive radar, reports have confirmed that WWE is no longer actively tracking TNA’s television ratings performance in its internal reports. WWE had always downplayed TNA’s viability as a competitor in public discourse, but this report serves as a crystal clear sign that WWE does not even privately see TNA as a threat.
– There is a rumor that Vince McMahon has called for a ban on backhand chops in the ring due to their visual connection with Ric Flair (and proclivity to inspire the crowd to chant “woo”). WWE does not want any clear references to Ric Flair on its programming.