Since its inception in 2019, All Elite Wrestling (AEW) has been giving some tough competition to the monopolistic market of the WWE.Â
AEW has taken its game to another level with the current signings. With the return of the former WWE champion CM Punk, AEW currently has one of the hottest properties in pro wrestling.
CM Punk’s return has surged the viewership ratings of the organisation. According to reports from Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Radio Observer, AEW rampage has seen a huge rise in the wrestling program’s viewership with them doing a 1.6 share in Chicago for the first half an hour. Moreover, they targetted the key demographic of 18-49. AEW Rampage saw a 57% increase in viewership across the United States.
“*If* the rest of the country is up as much as those markets, that would mean 1.16 million viewers total and 594,000 in 18-49”, tweeted Brandon Thurston of Wrestlenomics.
“In the top ten markets, Punk’s debut Rampage was up 57% over the previous week in terms of number of households watching, and up 50% in terms of 18-49,” said Trevor Dame, co-host of the ThROH.
CM Punk’s arrival in the AEW has already reaped huge profits for the company as he created history with the record shirt sales within 24 hours. In his first wrestling promo in over seven years, the 42-year-old wrestler called out Darby Allen and finalised a match between the two for the upcoming pay-per-view All Out in Chicago. CM Punk will be wrestling in a squared circle for the first time since his last appearance in WWE in 2014.