The NXT brand’s “New Year’s Evil” event on Jan. 7th marked a significant milestone with its highest TV viewership in over five years. According to Nielsen data, the event garnered an average of approximately 957,000 total viewers on The CW, with 341,000 viewers in the coveted adults 18-49 demographic. This viewership record is the best for NXT since September 2019 when it was airing on USA Network and since its move to The CW in October 2024.

The event took place at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles and featured exciting matches, including Giulia’s victory over Roxanne Perez for the NXT women’s championship, Stephanie Vaquer’s win over Cora Jade, Kelani Jordan, and Lola Vice for the NXT women’s North American championship, and Oba Femi’s first-time win of the NXT championship against Trick Williams and Eddy Thorpe. Additionally, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson made a special appearance at the event, concluding the night with a memorable promo in the ring.

NXT, a brainchild of Paul “Triple H” Levesque, who currently serves as WWE’s chief content officer, is now overseen by WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels, known for his legendary in-ring career.

The impressive ratings for NXT’s “New Year’s Evil” came shortly after WWE’s flagship series, “Monday Night Raw,” made its official move to Netflix. The first episode streamed live from the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, CA, on Jan. 6th, with Dwayne Johnson making multiple appearances during the show.

The success of “New Year’s Evil” not only showcases the popularity and appeal of NXT but also highlights the continued evolution and growth of WWE’s programming across various platforms. Fans can expect more thrilling events and captivating moments from NXT and WWE in the future.