Overview
- The CW said Nielsen’s rollout, communication, and methodology lack transparency and credibility, calling the Big Data approach fundamentally flawed in measuring WWE NXT.
- Nielsen shifted in September to a Big Data + Panel system that blends smart‑TV, set‑top box, and select provider data with its traditional panel.
- Wrestlenomics reporting shows declines under the new counts for wrestling: AEW Collision down 6%, AEW Dynamite down 9%, WWE SmackDown down 14%, and NXT averaging about 9% lower in total viewers.
- A source told Wrestlenomics that NXT’s 18–49 rating is roughly 27% lower under Big Data, even as some other sports properties have seen lifts using the same methodology.
- Sports Media Watch notes this is the first major on‑the‑record network critique since the September rollout, and NXT’s Nov. 14 episode was reported at 554,000 viewers.