Stunning WWE Viewership Statistics in 2024

WWE is the top pro wrestling promotion worldwide. The company broadcasts to over 180 countries. It has millions of fans spanning generations.

The promotion has expanded to other markets, such as American football, films, and merchandising. The company has recently merged with the UFC.

This article will tackle extreme WWE viewership statistics you should know in 2023.

Highlights of the Article

• 40% of WWE’s audience in 2020 were women.
• Outside of the US, most of WWE’s audience is in the UK, Canada, Germany, and India. 
• Streaming viewership was up 29% for 2023’s Wrestlemania 39.
• An estimated 161,892 fans watched Wrestlemania 39 live, generating a gate of more than $21.6 million.
• The key demo rating for the first episode of RAW after Wrestlemania 39 was 37% higher than the previous week.
• SmackDown’s viewership increased by 9.74% on July 16, 2021.
• The final SmackDown episode for 2022 drew a record 2.63 million viewers.
• The January 23, 2023, episode of Monday Night RAW recorded its highest domestic gate ever.
• The April 3, 2023 (RAW After Mania) episode drew an average of 2.26 million viewers. 

WWE Viewership: A Closer Look

The WWE is a peak TV drama. There are characters and storylines in WWE that fans follow. The company averaged 1.7 to 2 million viewers in 2022. Its streaming service, the WWE Network, has millions of subscribers.

Monday Night RAW and Friday Night SmackDown are WWE’s two major shows. They are among the most-watched shows on cable TV. WWE’s other notable show is NXT, which averaged around 623,000 viewers last year.

There’s more to it than just averages. Let’s examine the stats.

WWE Viewership Demographic Statistics

Fans watch pro wrestling for many reasons—the stars, the promos, the crazy athleticism, the drama, and the storylines.

WWE’s action is ruthless, but the company still keeps it “PG.”

You’d assume the company appeals to a younger audience, but the stats say otherwise. Here’s the breakdown of WWE’s fan base.

1. In 2017, the average age of WWE’s US audience was 47.

(Bleacher Report, Forbes)

Magna Global shows viewers’ median age jumped from 31 in 2000 to 47 in 2016.

The data could indicate that the same WWE audiences in 2000 are still the audiences of the promotion in 2016.

2. WWE aimed to cater to ages 7 and above in 2008.

(Sports Business Journal, Statista, The Guardian) 

WWE transitioned to the PG Era in 2008. Vince McMahon got rid of the excessive violence and profanity. Nudity was outlawed, and WWE even banned everyone from saying the word “pro wrestling.”

WWE adjusted for younger viewers in the age group of 7-34. Before the PG era, the company targeted 18 and above audiences.

The move drew mixed reactions from the audience. Fans approved prioritizing the wrestlers’ safety. Older viewers criticized the promotion for becoming a kid’s show.

3. 40% of WWE’s audience in 2020 were women.

(Fox Sports, The Sportster, SportsPro)

Female viewership in WWE is improving. In 2020, 40% of WWE’s audience across all platforms were women.

2015 marked a historical event for Women’s Wrestling. The WWE “Women’s Revolution” exploded and completely changed the pro wrestling landscape.

WWE started promoting women’s empowerment for its athletes. The company stopped degrading the women. Soon, women wrestlers even managed to main event PPVs such as Wrestlemania.

4. Outside of the US, most of WWE’s audience is in the UK, Canada, Germany, and India.

(Similarweb, Search Engine Journal, Sportskeeda)

WWE.com’s bounce rate in March 2023 was 45.8%. An average website’s bounce rate ranges between 41% and 55%.

The US is WWE’s top audience, generating 35.79%.

Here’s the breakdown for other regions:

• United Kingdom – 12.41%
• Canada – 6.82%
• Germany – 5.45%
• India – 3.23%
• Others – 36.29%

India is one of WWE’s most promising markets. Its January 2021 average viewership for RAW was four million viewers — almost double the U.S.’s 2.197 million.

WWE WrestleMania Viewership Statistics

Wrestlemania (WM) is WWE’s flagship offering. It is the annual culmination of the promotion’s storylines.

Wrestlemania originally aired exclusively on cable TV. Nowadays, WM is streamed by the WWE Network. US fans avail of the PPV via NBCUniversal’s Peacock streaming service. Other countries have their own WWE Network content providers.

In an ESPN interview, John Cena described Wrestlemania as pro wrestling’s March Madness. The event has reached pop-culture status in the US. That is why thousands flock to its venues, and millions watch at home.

Here are some of Wrestlemania’s most eye-catching viewership statistics.

5. Wrestlemania 1 had a live attendance of 19,121.

(Sports Illustrated, Sportskeeda, AP News)

The first-ever Wrestlemania was held at the Madison Square Garden. Approximately 19,121 attended the “greatest wrestling event of all time.” More than a million audiences tuned in to WM1 through closed-circuit TV.

WWF broadcasted WrestleMania 1’s live airing via satellite feed at the Civic Arena in Pennsylvania. Organizers sold 11,443 tickets, but a technical glitch abruptly ended the broadcast.

One of Wrestlemania’s staples is the involvement of celebrities, which started with WM1. Celebrities such as Cyndi Lauper, Mr. T, and Liberace participated as performers. Muhammad Ali refereed the Main Event of the show.

6. Wrestlemania 39’s streaming viewership rate increased by 29%.

(Yahoo!, Variety)

Wrestlemania 39 generated Peacock’s highest weekend usage ever. The PPV received a 32% viewer reach increase compared to WM 38. The event also garnered a rise of 29% in hours watched from the previous WM.

WWE dubbed the event “Wrestlemania Goes Hollywood.” It had the most hours watched for any of NBCUniversal’s live events outside the Superbowl.

One of many reasons for the numbers is the presence of well-known celebrities such as Snoop Dogg and Bad Bunny. Logan Paul also competed during WM39 against Seth Rollins. Paul is a celebrity boxer and YouTuber.

7. Live attendance for Wrestlemania 39 at the MSG was around 161,892.

(Business Wire)

The Los Angeles Sofi Stadium housed 161,892 fans for WrestleMania 39. The attendance broke the previous high by 27%, generating over $21.6 million in ticket sales.

Other WWE records, including viewership, merchandise, and sponsorship, were broken that weekend.

The attendance numbers show that WWE fans are engaged in the event. Fans’ live reactions and interactions are an essential dynamic in pro wrestling.

8. The PPV Buy Rate for Wrestlemania X-7 reached 1.04 million.

(WWE, Pro Wrestling History, Wrestlenomics, Bleacher Report)

Wrestlemania X-7 garnered 970,000 buys from North America plus 70,000 from international fans for an estimated 1,040,000 million PPV buy rate.

The PPV was held at the Reliant Astrodome in Texas. Around 67,925 fans attended the event. The company earned $3.5 million in gross receipts.

Critics and fans regard WMX7 as the best WrestleMania of all time. It featured some of the most historic matches in WM history—the McMahon vs. McMahon Street Fight, the Triple Tag Team TLC II, and Steve Austin VS The Rock.

WMX7’s main event featured Austin’s historic heel turn.

WWE SmackDown Viewership Statistics

SmackDown’s first episode aired on April 29, 1999.

Initially, fans saw the show as WWE’s B-Show. Things changed during the 2002 Brand Split, which saw SmackDown have its separate roster and stories.

SD saw its viewership rise to an average of 5.1 million in 2005. Eighteen years later, WWE’s blue brand views have dropped to an average of 2.06 million, still a better number compared to its contemporaries.

Let’s explore some more viewership statistics about Friday Night SmackDown.

9. SmackDown’s viewership increased by 9.74% on July 16, 2021.

(Forbes)

WWE SmackDown was also affected by the pandemic. The lack of a live audience tanked show ratings.

On July 16, 2021, SmackDown returned to a live crowd. Total viewership increased by 9.74% compared to the period between March 13, 2020 and July 9, 2021. 

Fans aged 18-49 gave WWE the biggest boost. SmackDown’s demo rating for this segment jumped to 0.66 from 0.48 the previous week. Around 2.31 million people tuned in to watch SD’s return to live crowds.

10. Smackdown’s viewership increased by 3.52% on February 10, 2023.

(Yahoo!)

Around 2.468 million people watched the February 10, 2023 episode, up from 2.384 million the previous week.

The 18-49 demographic led the views. Smackdown scored a 0.64 viewership rating for this group. Its demo rating for the previous episode was 0.61.   

11. The final SmackDown episode for 2022 drew a record 2.63 million viewers.

(Deadline)

John Cena appeared in SmackDown’s final 2022 episode on December 30 to the delight of 2.63 million viewers. It was the most-watched SD episode since December 25, 2020.

Around 842,000 adults under 50 tuned in, another high since September 10, 2021.

The episode’s main event featured Kevin Owens teaming up with John Cena to defeat The Bloodline.

Cena’s appearance in the episode was significant. It marked his return to the company after almost a year of absence.

WWE RAW Viewership Statistics

WWE’s Monday Night Raw is America’s longest-running weekly episodic TV series.

The Red Brand debuted on January 11, 1993. It pioneered the unique set-up of a live wrestling show, airing as the action happens.

WWE’s Raw is War era of the brand was the US’ highest-rated program on cable TV in the 2000s. It achieved a 5.8 viewership rating on nine shares.

Here are a few more Raw viewership statistics to look at.

12. The 30th Anniversary episode of Raw recorded its highest domestic gate ever.

(TJR Wrestling, Bleacher Report, WhatCulture)

WWE Raw’s 30th anniversary was witnessed live by 16,957 fans at the Wells Fargo Center. The episode was the highest-grossing domestic gate in the red brand’s history.

Raw is XXX aired to 2.344 million average viewers on a 0.7 rating (P18-49). The numbers are the highest that Raw has garnered since 2020.

Viewership numbers for Raw 30 are as follows:

• First Hour: 2.635 million
• Second Hour: 2.373 million
• Third Hour: 2.024 million

The show featured returns and appearances from many WWE Legends. The episode’s highlight was The Trials of Sami Zayn.

13. The Raw After WrestleMania 39 episode drew an average of 2.26 million viewers. 

(PWTorch, Wrestling INC, Bleacher Report, Cage Match)

The Red Brand’s 1558th episode recorded a 0.76 TV rating for its 18-49 demo. It was the show’s highest viewership since Raw is XXX.

The episode received a 0.22 increase from the previous month’s rating average. The episode’s three hours nabbed the top cable rankings. Here’s a rundown of the hourly viewership:

• First hour: 2.471 million
• Second hour: 2.255 million
• Third hour: 2.054 million

The first hour of the show aired commercial-free.

14. Monday Night Raw gained an 8.1 viewership rating on its 311th episode.

(Cage Side Seats, Give Me Sport, Wrestling DVD Network)

Raw #311 garnered the highest ratings in the show’s history. Around 10 million TV audiences watched the episode.

The episode aired on May 10, 1999, to an 8.1 TV rating. An estimated 10,652 fans were present that evening at the Orlando Arena.

WCW’s Monday Nitro did not air that night, contributing to the ratings.

The only rating that could come close to this was Raw’s May 1, 2000 episode, which garnered a 7.4 rating.

15. Viewership for the April 10, 2023, episode dropped to 1.818 million viewers, but RAW earned the #1 cable ranking for the night.  

(Wrestling Headlines, Cage Match)

The 1559th episode of Raw, which aired April 10, 2023, drew 1.818 million viewers, down 19.55% from the previous week. WWE earned the top cable ranking for the episode. 

Around 774,000 viewers were aged 18 to 49. The key demo rating was 0.59, the fourth highest in 2023.

An estimated 10,520 fans came to the Climate Pledge Arena to witness The Usos beat Alpha Academy.

Final Thoughts

WWE has become a tradition in primetime viewing. The promotion is a multi-billion-dollar company with millions of viewers. Its shows and events still gather live audiences by tens of thousands.

It’s no secret that WWE is scripted. It doesn’t make the show any less fun to watch. Think of it as theatrical combat.

The viewership statistics prove that pro wrestling is still a must-see event for many.