Has WWE lost fans to AEW and UFC?

As the long-standing titan of the entertainment sports industry, the WWE faces what some perceive as threats to its viewership base due to competition from the globally popular UFC and the recently formed AEW. In many ways, it is difficult to truly tell if combat sports fans are switching from one company to the other. However, we’ll try to shed some light on this by examining the growth and decline trends for all three companies while also considering how they appeal to different audiences.

Ups and Downs of AEW and WWE Viewers 

AEW launched in 2019 and became popular relatively quickly, to the point that Business Insider once said it could quickly rival WWE for viewers and dollars. AEW ownership targeted wrestlers whose contracts were ending near their own launch time to attract athletes with familiar faces to the new company.

Much can happen in a couple of years, however. While AEW’s shows have seen declining ratings recently, these numbers often change from week to week based on the competition of other sports. Measured year over year, though, AEW’s premier show, Dynamite, was down by nearly 20%.

Given the decline in TV and in-person ratings, viewers have noticed how much the AEW audiences seem to be shrinking. There is also significant speculation about AEW wrestlers becoming more frustrated as the viewership dwindles.

The WWE, meanwhile, has grown. Without digging too much into the show’s viewership philosophy over the years, WWE has become a bit more “PG” over the years in an effort to cater to a younger audience, as previous generations of fans found the show to have too much adult content for their kids. Numbers suggest their methods worked, as Smackdown remains up 15% in the key 18 to 49 demographic and overall up 3%, while Raw has stayed up by 6% but 7% down overall across viewers outside of their main demographic.

Another factor driving the popularity of WWE is online betting. Betting on small proposition bets like the length of a match can be quite fun and raises the question: should you try real money online casinos?

Let’s also discuss one important distinction: viewers will find Smackdown on TV on Thursday, having moved days a couple of times in its history, while Raw airs on Monday night. AEW’s Dynamite takes place on Wednesday night. Just like football and other major sports, some people enjoy watching sports multiple nights per week, so the two wrestling companies aren’t exactly showing at the same time. 

Overall, it’s tough to say if wrestling fans are switching from the long-standing WWE to AEW or not, but the statistics and availability for wrestling, in addition to social media reports, indicate that AEW’s rivalry is fading while WWE is continuing its mastery of the art of attracting crowds.

WWE and UFC Merger

In 2023, UFC and WWE merged to form TKO Group Holdings, but has this impacted whether sports viewers are switching from one to another? We don’t think so, and we’ll explain why. UFC is mostly viewed by adults as the sport doesn’t appeal to kids, while WWE has actively grown that market. Generally, WWE and the UFC remain different in content and presentation, with the UFC offering a larger variety of fighting styles. While WWE is known internationally, the wrestling company doesn’t have as many stars representing other continents, giving the UFC a greater chance to grow worldwide.

UFC viewership has been up year over year, with events generating from 300,000 to more than 2,000,000 eyeballs for some pay-per-view matches. UFC and WWE share similar demographics, with the age range of 25 to 54 tuning in, with the most attendance being males 25 to 34.

UFC remains a more significant threat to WWE’s viewers, though, like AEW, there remains a solid chance that sports fans will watch more than one event and not change sports habits too much.

Crossover Athletes and Changes

Individual athletes can reach a level of stardom that comes with the influence to bring fans with them when they switch sports. A handful of athletes have attempted to transition from the UFC to the WWE or vice versa. Most notable are Brock Lesnar, who wrestled in college, and CM Punk, who was a WWE title winner and had a short run in the UFC. To some, these athletes switching companies and fighting styles could lead to their fans changing loyalties, but the data on this phenomenon is unclear. One thing is certain, however: WWE and UFC fighters possess the elite athletic abilities required to make such transitions.

As for whether or not crossover athletes and mergers matter, UFC’s leadership team, including CEO Dana White, doesn’t believe we are going to see a significant amount of people transitioning between the two types of combat sports, with UFC and WWE crossover athlete Ronda Rousey noting that UFC fans don’t care about individual fighters as much as WWE fans become loyal to specific wrestlers. Wrestling legends like The Rock, Undertaker, and many others whose presence readily provides viewership surges prove that Rousey’s assessment is correct and that wrestling fanatics are more personality-focused than other combat sports.

Conclusion

From our statistics, you could conclude that there isn’t clear data yet showing combat sports fans switching their loyalties from WWE to AEW or UFC. Instead, data shows that both the WWE and UFC have experienced some growth recently, but knowledge of how their fans connect with the companies indicates that fans won’t likely transition. AEW’s lack of growth shows that the company doesn’t have stable view numbers yet.