Most wrestling fans probably watch both WWE and AEW. Probably not everything each company has to offer, but a selection of shows from each promotion. There's still that belief among some groups that you can't like one if you like the other, hence the endless arguments online. The wrestlers and promoters get in on this too from time to time, including Seth Rollins labeling AEW's constant digs as reeking of desperation.
Bigger In The UK
Tony Khan might top the pile when it comes to someone connected to AEW making WWE references. The latest example came during an appearance Swerve Strickland's Swerve City podcast. On the show, Khan proclaimed that AEW is already bigger than WWE in certain parts of the world. The conversation was sparked after Khan claimed neither Impact nor ROH has ever been as big as AEW is right now.
“There are parts of the world where we are number one which is amazing, like the United Kingdom,” Khan said. That's quite the statement as the UK is arguably the second biggest market for both WWE and AEW outside of North America. The thing is, Khan doesn't point to what exactly has led him to make that claim. There is one metric that adds up though, and it's one people love to shine a spotlight on.
Let's Check The Ratings
Television ratings. While Dynamite still can't compare to Raw and SmackDown in the US, the numbers over at Back Body Drop (via What Culture) reveal more Brits are watching AEW than WWE. There are a lot of caveats, though. For starters, WWE's UK ratings are reported so infrequently that you have to go back to the week starting March 14, 2022, to find data that can actually be compared. That week, 46,400 people watched Raw live, and a little more than 50,000 watched SmackDown. Significatly lower than the 150,000 people who watched the first airing of Dynamite.
Now for the other caveats. Raw, SmackDown, and NXT all air live in the UK, which means they don't start until 1 am. Dynamite still doesn't air live unless you have a Fite subscription. Its first airing usually happens on Friday at around 11 pm. AEW programming also has the benefit of airing on ITV 4, a free-to-watch channel everyone with a TV has access to. WWE shows, on the other hand, are exclusive to BT Sport which requires a subscription.
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