The September 23 episode of “AEW Dynamite” served as the final installment before the All Out pay-per-view event on September 26, featuring several exciting moments for fans in Fishers, Indiana. Highlights included Swerve Strickland and The New Level successfully defending their AEW World Trios Championships against The Demand, Persephone retaining her AEW TBS Championship over Hyan, and newcomer “Speedball” Mike Bailey joining forces with Will Ospreay to overcome the Death Riders after Bailey’s induction into the United Empire.
Despite an action-packed card, this episode experienced a dip in television ratings. Wrestlenomics reported that the show averaged 641,000 viewers, marking an 11% decline from the prior week’s 723,000 viewers and trailing 11% below the then-current weekly average of 721,000. However, when considering the broader context of the third quarter of 2026, AEW’s viewership remains strong—averaging 17% higher than the same period in 2025, and September’s ratings are 28% above last year’s figures, albeit Nielsen employed a different rating methodology back then. Notably, these numbers exclude live streams on HBO MAX.
The most significant drop was seen in the key 18-49 demographic, where the show earned a 0.10 rating—down 38% from 0.16 the previous week and 33% below the recent four-week average of 0.15. Due to the delayed release of these ratings, Wrestlenomics could not verify AEW Dynamite’s specific rank in the prime time cable lineup, as major outlets had yet to publish that data.
Fan Take:
This news is crucial for fighting fans as it highlights fluctuations in AEW’s viewership just before a major pay-per-view, suggesting that while the promotion remains popular overall, maintaining strong ratings in key demographics is vital for its long-term growth. If AEW can address these dips, it could mean more compelling matchups and bigger opportunities that keep the sport vibrant and expanding its fan base.
Source: www.wrestlinginc.com
