Backstage News On WWE Using Main Roster Talent On NXT
There are many main roster stars appearing on the WWE NXT regularly and there is some insight into why it’s happening.
When WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels, the man in charge of the NXT brand creatively, spoke about NXT ratings recently, he spoke at length about ratings going up for the brand.
“Obviously, we’re thrilled when they go up. Right now, we have been trending up and trending up in those demographics that everyone speaks of, significantly. We’re talking 26% in 18 to 49 and 61% in 18 to 34.”
“When I first stepped in for Hunter and eventually took over, the conversation I had with Vince [McMahon] is him wanting me to focus on that 18 to 34. Despite other stories that are out there, it was never being compared to anybody else, it was just him wanting us to focus on 18 to 34 because he wanted us to have a younger demographic.”
Michaels went on to specifically talk about Raw’s Becky Lynch beating Tiffany Stratton to win the NXT Women’s Title on September 12th, which led to a big audience for the brand.
“We come in with the main roster first and then out of the trojan horse comes all these NXT stars and we’re hoping, when a Becky Lynch comes in and gives us a well over 800 [800,000] and into the millions, we hope is that we expose a number of NXT talent to them that a percentage of those people come back and they see something they enjoy our product.”
In addition to Becky Lynch winning the NXT Women’s Title, main roster stars like Dominik Mysterio winning the NXT North American Title have provided a boost to the television audience.
WWE looking to increase NXT ratings for a better rights fee deal
It is well known that the deals that WWE has for both Raw & NXT will expire in one year’s time around October 2024. While we know Smackdown is heading back to USA Network next October for the next five years, the futures of Raw & NXT are unknown.
According to Fightful Select, WWE wants to increase their NXT viewership numbers on Tuesdays so that they can “better leverage a rights fee deal or package.” By showing potential buyers that adjustments can be made creatively, it tells suitors that WWE can increase their audience.
The Fightful report also noted that WWE was “ecstatic” about the ratings for the Lynch/Stratton NXT Title match on September 12th as mentioned by Shawn Michaels as well.
As for the next Lynch-Stratton match, that will be an Extreme Rules Match with Lynch defending the NXT Women’s Championship against Stratton in the main event of tonight’s No Mercy Premium Live Event.