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 continues to be the most watched professional wrestling program in the United Kingdom and, as we reported earlier today, the most watched professional wrestling program in that country for the last 10 years.
The episode of iMPACT Wrestling that aired on Tuesday, August 9, 2011 was estimated to have approximately 241,000 viewers. This estimate is a decrease of about 56,000 viewers from the prior week’s episode, which brought in about 297,000 viewers. In addition, an iMPACT Wrestling pay-per-view aired on Wednesday, August 10, 2011 and brought in 214,000 viewers. We believe this was the HardCORE Justice pay-per-view, but would love confirmation from one of our U.K. readers.
By comparison, WWE’s Monday Night RAW aired on Monday, August 8, 2011 and had approximately 129,000 viewers on Sky Sports 3. Smackdown aired on Friday, August 12, 2011 and had approximately 101,000 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 Ireland, they opted to go with a free channel that viewers do not have to pay for in 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 Ireland (including a live airing of RAW, a repeat of RAW, Smackdown!, a repeat of Smackdown!, a show called Experience, another show called Bottom Line, and pay-per-views) and thus some folks could surmise that their product is overexposed in that 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 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!
