Warner Bros. Discovery Credits AEW For Helping Ratings Growth
AEW has received a lot of praise from Warner Bros. Discovery for providing strong ratings for the network.
All Elite Wrestling is a huge content provider for the Warner Bros. Discovery family of networks. Dynamite has aired on Wednesdays for two hours nearly every week since October 2019. Rampage has been a part of the TNT schedule on Friday nights for one hour since the summer of 2021.
In June 2023, AEW Collision was added to the TNT lineup on Saturday nights for two hours every week.
Tony Khan is AEW’s Owner, CEO & General Manager and he often touts the ratings success of the company. There are certainly fewer people than ever who have cable television at home due to the rise of streaming devices, but AEW’s ratings are strong compared to other television shows, especially in certain demographics.
It is believed that AEW’s television contract with WBD is set to expire later in 2024, but there’s also a good chance that WBD will keep AEW and also pay AEW more money for their programming. However, there are also rumors that WBD might be interested in making a significant bid for WWE Raw, which could force AEW to find a new television home.
WBD Mentions AEW In Ratings Success
The press release from WBD touting AEW’s ratings and their other entities is below.
WARNER BROS. DISCOVERY NETWORKS PREMIERED 20 OF THE 25 HIGHEST-RATED FRESHMAN SERIES IN 2023 – THE MOST OF ANY CABLE PORTFOLIO
TNT, Investigation Discovery and Adult Swim Delivered Solid Year-Over-Year Ratings Growth
New York [Jan. 8, 2024] With significant year-over-year ratings gains for TNT, Investigation Discovery and Adult Swim, the US Networks at Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) wrapped 2023 as the only cable portfolio to deliver 20 of the 25 highest-rated freshman series. TLC’s spinoff series 90 Day: The Last Resort ranked as the #1 unscripted freshman series in prime among Adults 25-54 and Women 25-54.
Live telecasts of NBA, NHL and All Elite Wrestling sporting events helped TNT grow its prime ratings by 14 percent among Adults 25-54, while Adult Swim garnered an 11 percent prime ratings gain versus year-ago. ID delivered ten consecutive months of year-over-year growth among Women 25-54 and seven months of year-over-year growth among Adults 25-54.
Outperforming all other network groups, WBD’s US Networks delivered more than 40 nights of a 40 percent share of primetime cable viewing among adults in 2023 as well as 17 nights with more than a 50 percent share and four nights with a 60 percent share.
“To keep our momentum going, we’re investing in, developing and producing thousands of hours of scripted and unscripted content, including adult animation, for 2024,” said Kathleen Finch, Chairman and CEO, US Networks, Warner Bros. Discovery. “We closed out 2023 with more freshman hits across our portfolio than any other competitor, a solid performance from Food Network’s holiday lineup, incredible ratings growth from Adult Swim and ID, and huge audiences coming to TNT and TBS for premium live sports. When you put all of that together with our successful franchises like Shark Week, Puppy Bowl, 90 Day Fiancé and Naked and Afraid, we’ve got an unmatched content offering for viewers.”
Comprised of close to 20 network brands including Discovery, Food Network, HGTV, Investigation Discovery, TBS, TNT, TLC, Adult Swim and OWN, the US Networks together accounted for nearly 31 percent of primetime cable viewing among Adults 25-54. On average each month, more than 127 million total viewers watched the portfolio’s content which featured live sports, complex relationships, true crime, high-stakes cooking and home renovation competitions, and popular animated series.
Six of the US Networks – TNT, TBS, TLC, Food Network, Discovery and HGTV – maintained their position in the top 10 of ad-supported cable networks. Additional outstanding freshman performers across the US Networks portfolio last year included: 90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After? Tell All: No Limits, MILF Manor and Match Me Abroad (TLC); Naked and Afraid: Last One Standing and Naked and Afraid: Castaways (Discovery); The Curious Case of Natalia Grace, Jared from Subway: Catching a Monster, The Price of Glee and The Playboy Murders (ID); Summer Baking Championship and Ciao House (Food Network); and Barbie Dreamhouse Challenge (HGTV).
·TNT’s ratings among Adults 25-54 grew 14 percent year-over-year, with the network maintaining its rank as the #1 cable entertainment network in prime among Adults 25-54, 18-49 and 18-34. Popular AEW Dynamite, AEW Collision and AEW Rampage reached nearly four million viewers each week across TNT and TBS. In addition, TNT’s coverage of the 2023-24 NBA regular season to date is up 13 percent among Adults 25-54 (Q4’23 vs. Q4’22), while the 2023-24 NHL regular season to date is up 53 percent among Adults 25-54 (Q4’23 vs. Q4’22).
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