NEWS UPDATE: AEW Fight Forever release date, TV ratings for Smackdown and Rampage

➡️ Subscribers have exclusive access to reports like this for 90 days after publishing. SIGNUP NOW.

  • AEW and THQ announced its long-awaited first console game, Fight Forever, will be released on Thursday, June 29. The game will be available on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Nintendo Switch at a suggested retail price of $59.99. The ESRB rating is T for “teen” due to violence, blood, mild suggestive themes, language, and use of alcohol and tobacco.
  • Game Changer Wrestling used “Fight Forever” as an event name as early as 2021. According to the latest filings on the matter at USPTO.gov, GCW, being represented by IP lawyer Michael Dockins, was granted an extended deadline until May 31 to potentially oppose AEW’s trademark application.
  • According to the latest estimates from WrestleTix, ticket advances for the first AEW Collision events so far are struggling. The Hamilton date on June 29, the day after the already-schedule Dynamite date at the same venue, is only at 569 estimated tickets distributed. The Toronto taping on June 24, the day before Forbidden Door, is at 1,599. The July 22 show in Newark, NJ at the Prudential Center is at 3,247. The July 8 show in Regina, SK, which tickets were already on sale for before it was officially announced as a Collision taping, is at 1,285. The Calgary taping, which also already had tickets on sale, is at 3,108. Estimates for the new shows (Toronto, Hamilton, and Newark) were made just after general public on-sale was made available. This note was updated to correct the number for Newark.
  • Did you know? Women of Wrestling is airing not only in syndication via CBS Media Ventures but has also, since April 18, been airing on Vice on Tuesday nights at midnight. We have an update on WOW’s TV ratings that went up today.
  • Rampage will be preempted again this week, airing at midnight ET on Saturday night. According to TNT’s website, it will return to its normal Friday 10 pm time slot the following week on June 2, at which point the show will break its seven-week streak of preemptions, counting the April 14 episode when it began 18 minutes early at 9:42 pm.
WWE Smackdown, Friday on Fox, was watched by 2,133,000 viewers on average, including about 691,000 aged 18 to 49, for a 0.53 P18-49 rating. Smackdown ranked #3 on television overall on the day in P18-49. AEW Rampage on TNT at 6:30 pm, was watched by 293,000 viewers on average, including about 117,000 aged 18 to 49, for a 0.09 P18-49 rating. Rampage ranked #24 in P18-49 among cable originals for the day, according to Showbuzz Daily. Including broadcast primetime, it ranked #38. Compared to last week, Rampage was up 3% in total viewership. Among viewers 18-49, viewership was up 28%. From last week, there was virtually no difference for Smackdown in total viewership. Among viewers 18 to 49, viewership was down 5% from last week’s 731,000. NBA conference finals on TNT led television overall for the day. Viewer counts in thousands, calculated from national ratings, for this week’s episode with difference versus the median of the last 28 days in parentheses: Smackdown: P2+: 2133 (-1%) P18-49: 691 (-4%) P18-34: 239 (-3%) P35-49: 452 (-4%) P25-54: 852 (-4%) Non-P18-49: 1442 (-0%) Rampage: P2+: 293 (-1%) P18-49: 117 (+0%) M18-49: 78 (+9%) F18-49: 33 (-37%) P18-34: 35 (-18%) P35-49: 82 (+3%) F12-34: 14 (-46%) M12-34: 19 (+0%) P25-54: 146 (+4%) P50+: 164 (-7%) Most-viewed YouTube videos from Smackdown, as of 4pm today: The Usos’ No Good Very Bad Day: 961,167 The Usos anger Roman Reigns: 870,422 Sheamus silences Austin Theory with a Brogue Kick: 456,871 The LWO vs. The Usos: 381,651 Roman Reigns berates The Usos: 361,357 Paul Heyman informs The Usos that Roman Reigns forgives them: 338,778 “The Grayson Waller Effect” debuts with AJ Styles: 311,473 Knight emphatically ends his short-lived partnership with Boogs: 263,203 Zelina Vega vs. Asuka: 253,059 Asuka’s mist attack doesn’t get all of Bianca Belair: 247,506 Most-viewed YouTube videos from Rampage, as of 4pm today: Jade Cargill vs. Taya Valkyrie for the TBS title is official!: 207,117 The Mogul Affiliates strike Naturally Limitless in a post-match assault: 171,845 Unsanctioned violence between Adam Cole & Chris Jericho at Double or Nothing: 140,725 The Blackpool Combat Club are unstoppable before their clash with The Elite: 128,562 Will The Hardys & Brother Zay be at 100% before Double or Nothing?: 83,286 Another win means one step closer to trios gold for The Acclaimed: 55,864 EXCLUSIVE: Blackpool Combat Club vs. Best Amigos & Bandido entrance: 30,902 This report was written with the assistance of automated programs created by me, then manually edited. Subscribers have exclusive access to the Wrestlenomics Viewership Spreadsheet. Brandon Thurston brandon@wrestlenomics.com

Brandon Thurston has written about wrestling business since 2015. He’s also worked as an independent wrestler and trainer.


This article is available ad-free for everyone because of support from our subscribers.

SUBSCRIBE NOW

Support quality reporting on the wrestling business