Source: TNAStars.com
Recent viewership estimates for iMPACT Wrestling on Challenge TV in the United Kingdom are now available. The estimates show that the flagship show for iMPACT Wrestling remains the most watched professional wrestling program in the United Kingdom, just as it was during the summer of 2011 when it broke viewership records.
The episode of iMPACT Wrestling that aired on Sunday, November 27, 2011 was estimated to have approximately 135,000 viewers. This estimate is a decrease of about 19,000 viewers from the prior week’s episode, which brought in about 154,000 viewers. However, the Tuesday, November 22, 2011 replay of the prior week’s episode brought in 156,000 viewers – 2,000 more than the original airing.
By comparison, WWE’s Monday Night RAW aired on Monday, November 21, 2011 and had approximately 124,000 viewers. Smackdown aired on Friday, November 25, 2011 and had approximately 78,000 viewers.
When reviewing these numbers, please note that WWE opted to negotiate a television deal with the Sky Sports suite of channels which means that their programming is on a package that must be paid for by the viewer. When iMPACT Wrestling negotiated a new deal in the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland, they opted to go with a free channel that viewers do not have to pay for as a part of their cable package. WWE’s choice to place their programming on a paid channel versus iMPACT Wrestling’s choice to place their programming on a free channel likely has an affect on the number of viewers watching each of the promotions’ television shows. Also worth noting is that WWE has much more programming in the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland (including a live airing of RAW, a repeat of RAW, a live airing of Smackdown!, a repeat of Smackdown!, NXT, a show called Experience, another show called Bottom Line, a show called Vintage, a show called Afterburn, and live airings of pay-per-views). With all of these programs airing throughout the week some observers could surmise that the WWE product is overexposed in this market. However, iMPACT Wrestling is still the most watched professional wrestling program in the United Kingdom over the last 10 years – a phenomenal accomplishment for the younger, smaller promotion.
If you’re interested in iMPACT Wrestling’s ratings performance in the United States for 2010 and 2011, then check out TNAStars.com’s Ratings War area. In the Ratings War area you can see a comparison of iMPACT Wrestling vs. Monday Night RAW from the spring of 2010 and iMPACT Wrestling vs. Superstars from all of 2010 and the first part of 2011. In addition, you can see all of the viewership estimates (from this side of the pond) for 2011, too. Enjoy!