The Way TV Ratings Are Measured Is Changing, WWE & AEW To Be Impacted

The 18-49 demographic viewership has long been considered the most important number for advertisers when it comes to analyzing the ratings of U.S. television broadcasts.

The higher the 18-49 demo, there more advertisers have been traditionally willing to spend on commercials, however, that is all about to change.

A report in the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, reveals there’s going to be a shift away from the traditional 18-49 being used as the sole deciding factor for advertisers and where they spend their money.

The new key data for advertisers to watch will be "total impressions" a show is able to generate. This will reportedly include streaming and on-demand numbers, rather than live broadcasting viewership or demographics.

The change is expected to come in January 2022 and it will be very interesting to see how this impacts both WWE and AEW, especially since they focus on their 18-49 demographic viewership. The belief is that when the new numbers are included, the genre that will benefit the most are sports programs and shows on streaming services such as Netflix.

MGM Teaming With WWE For Revival Of American Gladiators

A report from Deadline reveals that MGM and WWE are teaming up to revive the classic competition series "American Gladiators."

A new series has been pitched by Mark Burnett which would see a reimagined version of the show. MGM and WWE will serve as executive producers on the project.

In 2008 Hulk Hogan and Laila Ali hosted a reboot on NBC. Prior to that, the show had an initial run from 1989-1996 on syndication and also had a successful British version made on ITV in the UK between 1992-2000 with a revival on Sky in 2008.

Another reboot was attempted in the U.S. in 2018 with Seth Rogan, but plans were dropped.

Happy Birthday Stephanie

Stephanie McMahon Levesque
September 24, 1976

Triple H Comments On His Recent Cardiac Event

WWE Executive Vice President of Global Talent Strategy & Development Paul "Triple H" Levesque posted his first public comments since his recent heart surgery on Twitter:

"I’ve been blown away by the outreach and support from so many people. I’m recovering, doing well, & deeply grateful for all the love in my life. Especially grateful for Shawn Michaels & all the Superstars & WWE NXT Crew! (Steph and the girls loved the snacks!) See you soon"

Rumor Mill - Vince McMahon Reportedly Looking To Make WWE NXT 2.0 An Edgier Product

WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon reportedly has some significant plans in store for the WWE NXT 2.0 brand.

Word going around WWE is that McMahon has plans for NXT 2.0 to be a more edgier product, according to Fightful Select. This would be a part of the ongoing revamp for the brand.

It was reported that the NXT 2.0 brand may target more of a P18-34 demographic, which would go for everything from in-ring work and aggression, to harsher language, and the like. It was also noted that there may be more lenience when it comes to the attire worn by female Superstars, although it wasn’t specified exactly what that means. Another point brought up was that the brand may “keep up with current affairs with promos and character verbiage.”

There’s no word on when these changes might be implemented, and it was noted that sources haven’t heard much more outside of a brief internal acknowledgement that the changes have been discussed.

At least some officials at the USA Network are aware of the potential changes, and are said to be in support of them.

Adam Cole Comments On Shawn Michaels And Triple H

“I’ve been so open with how much of a relationship I formed with Shawn Michaels. He is an idol of mine. A guy I look at as the greatest professional wrestler of all-time. To have the chance to work under him was really cool. Triple H, as well, treated me with nothing but respect and is someone I learned so much from, whether it be things that may seem small but are a big deal in the ring or a work ethic. I feel like the pro wrestler I am today is a lot better than Adam Cole was four years ago. A lot of that is because of my time in NXT.”

AEW And The Owen Hart Foundation Announce Partnership, Tournament To Be Held

 All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and The Owen Hart Foundation (OHF), a nonprofit charity which provides a vast range of assistance and opportunities to individuals in-need across the world, are collaborating to honor the legacy of late wrestler Owen Hart, a beloved figure in the professional wrestling community and beyond. This collaboration includes launching the annual Owen Hart Cup Tournament within AEW, which will see the winner receive a Cup known as “The Owen,” as well as the production and distribution of unique and original Owen Hart merchandise, including specified retail goods as well as the upcoming AEW console video game.

This alliance incorporates opportunities to develop Owen Hart action figures via AEW’s partnership with Jazwares, apparel, posters, and additional collectable merchandise. Owen Hart is survived by his wife, Dr. Martha Hart, who spearheads The Owen Hart Foundation with a mission of providing global aid to at-risk communities (e.g., scholarships, housing, various forms international assistance, food drives, backpack giveaways and Christmas projects).

“AEW’s relationship with the Hart family dates back to our inaugural pay-per-view event, Double or Nothing in 2019, and Owen’s influence is still felt today,” said Tony Khan, AEW CEO, GM and Head of Creative. “To extend his memory and his legacy even further through this agreement is a powerful and meaningful moment for the entire wrestling community.”

“The Owen Hart Foundation is extremely pleased to partner with AEW in this wonderful joint venture to honor Owen’s substantial international wrestling career and the lasting influence he and his craft has had in the sport. AEW’s Owen Hart Cup Tournament serves as a tremendous tribute to Owen and provides an incredible way for professional wrestling enthusiasts to celebrate his work in a most fitting way. We trust that Tony Khan and his amazing AEW team will do a brilliant job with this highly anticipated project. This OHF/AEW partnership is my special gift to all of Owen’s magnificent loyal fans who forever remember him and his inspiring repertoire of talents,” said Dr. Martha Hart.

Sean Waltman Shares Heartwarming Text Exchange With Triple H After His Heart Surgery

The friendship between Sean Waltman and Triple H is a bond that can never be broken.

WWE COO Triple H recently had heart surgery which caused concern among members of the WWE Universe. While it’s been reported that he will make a full recovery, situations like this can still be terrifying.

Speaking on the latest episode of Pro Wrestling 4 Life (via Wrestling Inc), Sean Waltman spoke on the situation and went out of his way to remind listeners of the positive impact that Triple H has had on the pro wrestling industry:

“The health of the entire industry outside of WWE probably wouldn’t be what it is right now if it wasn’t for him, which maybe (laughs) that’s why he has heat right now,” Sean Waltman joked. “He picked the whole business up. Picked WWE up, but at the same time, it raised the awareness of a lot of stuff. They have some of it on the Network. They host ICW out of Scotland, things like that. I’m grateful for that because regardless of what somebody corporate might think, that’s good for everyone.”

Waltman also shared a beautiful story of text messages between the two members of D-Generation X following Triple H’s heart surgery:

“I haven’t talked to him on the phone, but we had this running joke, Paul and I,” Sean Waltman said. “We’d be talking forever, be on the phone for an hour or two, and finally, whenever it was time for Paul to get off the phone, he’d go, ‘Are you going to be around later?’ And he never called me later. It was just, it’s time to take this home. I heard the news just like everyone else, and I just texted him, ‘Hey man, I’m glad you’re gonna be around later,’ and he just said, ‘Me too. Love you, kiddo,’ and that’s it. That’s the extent of what I know. I wasn’t gonna say, ‘Tell me what happened.’ I don’t need to know. I just need to know he’s okay (Waltman starts choking up).”

It was stated on the podcast that Triple H was probably dealing with a lot of pressure right now, due to all of the changes currently happening in WWE NXT. In response to that, Waltman had some advice for his long-time friend:

“I’ll just say this, the things you got to deal with lately, after this, I would seriously consider just cashing in and spending time with my family and saying, ‘F–k this.’ He’s got three beautiful daughters and a beautiful house up on a lake in New Hampshire that I would never leave if I had it,” Sean Waltman pointed out. “I’m just saying, if it was me.”

NXT 2.0 Arrives Tonight

Triple H Underwent Procedure For Cardiac Event, Expected To Make Full Recovery

Triple H is on the mend after having a procedure to correct a cardiac-related issue.

On Wednesday, WWE issued the following statement to confirm Triple H (Paul Levesque) had a procedure done in Connecticut last week due to a cardiac event. It was noted that Levesque’s health issue was caused by a genetic heart issue and he is expected to make a full recovery.

STAMFORD, Conn., September 8, 2021 – WWE issued the following statement today regarding Paul “Triple H” Levesque, WWE Executive Vice President, Global Talent Strategy & Development:

“Paul Levesque, a.k.a. Triple H, underwent a successful procedure last week at Yale New Haven Hospital following a cardiac event. The episode was caused by a genetic heart issue and Paul is expected to make a full recovery.”

Booker T Reveals New TV Deal For ROW

WWE Hall of Famer Booker T has landed a new TV distribution deal for his Reality of Wrestling indie promotion.

ROW announced today that the Texas-based promotion will begin airing their weekly TV show in nearly 50 markets on Saturday, September 18. The new partnership is with CW, ABC, The Action Channel, RokuTV and Right Now TV.

The full schedule can be seen in Booker T’s tweet below. Booker thanked everyone for supporting the promotion, which launched back in 2005 as Pro Wrestling Alliance.

“I am proud to announce that @TheOfficialROW will be returning the television nationwide in nearly 50 markets! Check out this press release. It’s because of all of you we’ve made it to this point! Thank you all!,” he wrote.

Mick Foley Says WWE Has A Problem, Touts AEW As ‘The’ Place Where Talent Aspire To Be

This past weekend’s AEW All Out pay-per-view may have signaled a major shift in the world of professional wrestling, and that’s exactly the case if you ask a certain WWE Hall of Famer in Mick Foley.

Mick Foley took to social media to post a video titled ‘WWE — We Have A Problem’ to claim that AEW is now the place that talent ‘aspire’ to be. Foley explained that WWE broke something that didn’t need to be fixed, but now they need to correct that mistake if they want to be the destination for talent once again.

“WWE is no longer the place for talent to aspire to. Part of it is because AEW is doing a great job of attracting great talent, proven talent, building other talent, creating storylines,” Foley said, “but part of it is a problem of your own [WWE] making. I think younger talent sees the way that developmental characters are cut or left by the wayside, or in the case of Karrion Kross, greatly watered down and even made a joke of when debuting on the main roster.

“If it’s not broke, don’t fix it. If I was an aspiring talent now, a big-league talent with a major decision to make, I’m not sure that I would trust WWE creative to do the right thing with my career. You guys did wonders with me back in the day but that was a different time, different place,” Foley noted, “and if it was today, I’m not sure that I would trust the powers to be with my career in their hands. And until that changes, WWE, we got a problem.”