Ratings Drop for WWE SmackDown, WWE NXT and TNA Impact

A wave of new ratings data arrived, covering WWE SmackDown, WWE NXT and TNA Impact. All three shows saw declines in total viewership, though each had different trends in the key 18–49 demographic.

Wrestling TV ratings report

SmackDown’s August 14 episode took the biggest hit. The show finished with 1.247 million viewers, down 15 percent from the previous week. The 18–49 demo also slipped, dropping 14 percent to a 0.30 rating. NFL preseason football, which began last week, is believed to be a major factor in the decline. Despite the drop, both numbers still landed above SmackDown’s 10‑week average heading into Friday.

The episode itself featured another confrontation between CM Punk and Kevin Owens, Cody Rhodes vs. Sami Zayn, and three title matches, but the competition from football proved too strong.

WWE NXT and TNA Impact Also See Declines

On the NXT side, numbers are available for the August 11 episode, though not yet for this past Tuesday. NXT drew 588,000 viewers, down nine percent from the prior week. However, the 18–49 demo jumped 25 percent. The total viewership fell below the brand’s 10‑week average, but the demo rating matched it.

The episode continued the build toward Heatwave and followed up on Zilla Fatu’s surprise debut the week before.

TNA Impact also saw a decline for its August 13 broadcast. The show drew 203,000 viewers, down 12 percent from the previous week. The 18–49 demo, however, rose 33 percent to a 0.04 rating. Both numbers were above the rolling eight‑week average, partly because ratings for the July 2 and July 9 episodes were not reported.

The episode featured TNA World Champion Nic Nemeth defending against Jeff Hardy, but even with a marquee match, the total audience dipped.

Across all three promotions, the pattern was clear: total viewership fell, while demo performance varied. With NFL preseason continuing for several weeks, more fluctuations are expected.