AEW Collision Ratings Rebound For CM Punk Vs. Samoa Joe, FTR Vs. Bullet Club Gold

Last week's "AEW Collision" — the pre-recorded episode from Hamilton, Ontario that aired on July 1 — took a beating in the Nielsen TV ratings, performing nearly identically to the previous night's episode of "Rampage." Therefore, the big question coming out of that report was if it was part of a broader pattern for AEW's new Saturday programming or a one-off fluke. Would this weekend's show bounce back buoyed by FTR vs. Bullet Club Gold and Samoa Joe vs. CM Punk?

Per Wrestlenomics, the July 8 "Collision" from Regina, Saskatchewan averaged 580,000 viewers across its two hours (up 28% from the previous week), approximately 279,000 of which were in the key demo of adults aged 18 to 49 (up 62% from the week prior). The latter figure translates to a 0.21 rating in 18 to 49, which earned "Collision" fifth place for the day on cable, reruns included. 

The only shows in broadcast prime time to beat "Collision" were other live sports coverage: UFC 290 prelims on ABC (0.33) and Major League Baseball on Fox (0.44). Combining the ABC and ESPN broadcasts, the UFC broadcast averaged 1,859,000 viewers and a 0.65 rating in 18 to 49.

In relation to the median of the prior four weeks' numbers — the comparison this time out was to the median of the first three episodes on the still relatively young "Collision" — most of the movement in either direction was within Nielsen's stated 10% margin of error. The only exceptions were women aged 18 to 34, which saw a 28% increase from the median, and adults aged 18 to 34, which jumped by 14%.