New AEW Ratings Do Not Include HBO Max Simulcasts

Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) has confirmed that live AEW broadcasts streamed on HBO Max are not included in Nielsen's television ratings for AEW "Dynamite" or "Collision."

The clarification came after questions arose about Nielsen's new "Big Data + Panel" system, which combines information from traditional households with data from set-top boxes and smart TVs. Some wondered if that meant streaming viewers were now included in TV ratings, but WBD says that's not the case — at least for AEW.

In an email received by Wrestlenomics, an unnamed WBD spokesperson explained the situation.

"Nothing has changed in terms of what is baked into their numbers from the WBD side of things. AEW's "Dynamite" and "Collision" linear viewership information reported by Nielsen still does not include HBO Max streaming viewership."

That means when fans tune in to AEW live on HBO Max, those views are not being counted in the official television audience totals Nielsen reports each week. It's unclear if other networks, like NBCUniversal or Paramount, have their streaming audiences factored into Nielsen's new system.

Nielsen's updated ratings model was fully rolled out this quarter, and so far, it has led to lower reported numbers for both AEW and WWE programs. The new system blends broader digital data with the company's long-standing panel of sample households.

Last week's episode of AEW "Dynamite" drew an estimated 465,000 viewers — one of its lowest totals outside of preempted shows and below any number reported under Nielsen's previous system. WWE's "SmackDown" and "NXT" have also seen similar dips since the change.

Nielsen has not yet commented on whether its new approach will eventually include simultaneous live streams like HBO Max's AEW broadcasts.

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