WWE TV ratings and audience numbers will always be the most important measures in determining your results.
WWE had its fair share of struggles with the diminishing TV audience during the pandemic era of wrestling, and the arrival of AEW only increased the scrutiny of TV rating trends. While the numbers in the United States have been consistently low, except for a few brief spikes, the audience in other countries paints a promising picture for WWE.
Michael Morales and Miguel Perez of Lucha Libre Online released exclusive information about WWE ratings outside the United States. Based on the reports from Lucha Libre Online, India is one of the most prominent markets in the WWE, as the country has achieved astonishing numbers.
The average RAW viewing in India in January 2021 was over 4 million viewers per week. SmackDown attracted 3 million a week, while NXT also managed to pull in just over a million in the first month of the new year.
South Africa attracted an average that surpassed 1 million viewers for RAW and SmackDown. Canada, Germany and Italy attracted around 300,000 viewers per week, respectively, for RAW and SmackDown broadcasts.
The report had only South Korea’s SmakDown number, which was over 300,000 viewers. RAW numbers were not available.
These impressive numbers are only half the story for WWE
WWE managed to attract an average of 5.9 million viewers to RAW in January 2021 from India, Canada, Germany, South Africa and Italy. For SmackDown, which also included the South Korean market, WWE raised about 5.2 million viewers.
The report was quick to note that these figures do not yet reveal the full story, as many countries and markets have been left out. It is important to note that WWE airs a litany of programs in Latin America, the United Kingdom, China, Japan and several other locations.
SmackDown maintained a stable run in 2021 in the United States, as the Blue brand remained above the two million limit. RAW employees were not so lucky, as the Red brand managed to attract around 1.85 million viewers in January 2021.
The Lucha Libre Online report concluded with the following details:
The approximate real assessment between the aforementioned countries and the United States for Raw rises to 7.2 million viewers a week in January 2021. Raw has an average of 7.75 million viewers in the countries mentioned.
The report’s biggest conclusion was the sheer importance of the WWE TV deal in India. WWE’s remarkable progress in India explains why the company has invested so much time creating a separate show for Indian fans.
The WWE Superstar Spectacle was a successful event, and there are reports of plans to start a weekly program and spread talent and home stories.